The TORCH test is a panel of rapid qualitative lateral flow test designed for the qualitative detection of IgG/IgM antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii(TOXO), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Rubella, Herpes Simplex virus (HSV-2) in human serum/plasma samples.

The TORCH test is a panel of rapid qualitative lateral flow test designed for the qualitative detection of IgG/IgM antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii(TOXO), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Rubella, Herpes Simplex virus (HSV-2) in human serum/plasma samples.

T. gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite with a worldwide distribution (1, 2). Serological data indicate that approximately 30% of the population of most industrialized nations is chronically infected with the organism (3). When a seronegative woman become infected T. gondii during pregnancy, the organism is often transmitted across the placenta to the fetus (1,4). The severity of infection in the fetus varies with the trimester during which the infection was acquired. Infection during the trimester may lead to spontaneous abortion, stillbirth or overt disease in the neonate. Approximately 75% of congenitally infected newborns are symptomatic. However, nearly all children born with subclinical toxoplasmosis will develop adverse ocular or neurologic sequelae later in life (4, 7). Approximately 80-85% develops chorioretinitis and some may also experience blindness or mental retardation.

A variety of serologic tests for antibodies to T. gondii have been used as an aid in diagnosis of acute infection and to assess previous exposure to the organism. The more widely used test include the Sabin-Feldman dye test, direct agglutination, indirect hemagglutination, latex agglutination, indirect immunofluorenscence, and ELISA (5, 6).