'What we are seeing is that certain diseases are coming closer and closer to The Netherlands due to climate change. Often we are not aware of it at first, but for catching certain infections (e.g. Dengue, West Nile virus), you don't have to leave Europe anymore, 'explains Popping. 

A list without end 

In patients who report to the hospital with fever and have recently taken an exotic trip, the list of possible causes can be enormous. 'It can be mosquito (malaria) or tick-borne infections, but also non-travel-related infections such as a simple bladder infection,' says Popping. 'And so many different forms of diagnostics are requested step by step. As a result, it takes a long time to get a diagnosis and it leads to high costs. My research focuses on the question in which patient group the immediate use of advanced diagnostic techniques, such as sequencing, can contribute to faster diagnosis at lower cost.’ Sequencing, a technique that analyzes genetic material and can be read like a bar code, has become much cheaper in recent years, which could revolutionize medical diagnostics. 

'The idea is that instead of doing a separate diagnostic test for each individual pathogen, we start with sequencing as a kind of dragnet method. We can also combine that with tests that can detect entire disease families. By directly detecting the genetic material of the pathogen and then typing it using this technique, we can save costs and diagnose patients much more quickly,' explains Popping. This may sound contradictory, but Popping is convinced that this approach is not only more efficient, but can also save costs. 'The faster you have the right diagnosis, the faster you can potentially treat, which in turn makes for more efficient care.' 

The role of climate change 

Not only can patients with unclear symptoms be better diagnosed with this new technique, t also helps with the unfamiliarity of some infectious diseases. 'Because you don't have a preconceived idea beforehand about what you think you're going to find, you're going to find the very pathogens you didn't think about beforehand.'  Popping's research can help physicians detect and respond to these emerging infectious diseases earlier. 

Popping combines sequencing with broader diagnostic PCR techniques (techniques that allow the detection of small amounts of genetic material found in entire families of pathogens).  Popping uses existing patient data and stored (blood) samples: 'We do not want to take additional materials from patients, but initially use residual material that is already available to get a good picture of the characteristics of the tests and clinical applicability. ' Her goal is to use the collected data to develop diagnostic stewardship models that show in which patients group sequencing-based diagnostics are best applied directly in practice and what the financial benefits are. 

With this research, Popping hopes to demonstrate that new sequencing-based diagnostics are not only more effective, but can also be cost-effective.  

 It's all about helping patients faster 

The financial support from the AUF Startstipendium will enable her to purchase the necessary materials and tests for sequencing and to further develop the research. 'It's all about how we can use diagnostics in the best possible way. That saves costs and time. Because ultimately it's about helping patients faster, and who knows, maybe even saving lives.'