ChoLab Hub

ChoLab

ChoLab Hub

Portable cholera detection device that uses decentralized data to stop outbreaks through rapid, on-site water testing.

Massachusetts, USA

USA

Not registered as any organization

Cholera-prone communities lack a reliable, low-cost way to detect contaminated water before infections begin—making prevention nearly impossible. Cholera affects up to 5 million people and causes over 100,000 deaths each year, mostly in regions without access to lab diagnostics or early warning systems. Existing tools are fragmented and reactive, detecting the disease only after symptoms appear and outbreaks are underway. We approached this challenge by mapping the entire response system and identifying a critical blind spot: the moment when contaminated water first enters daily use. This early stage is where intervention can have the greatest impact—but few solutions target it. ChoLab Hub was created to fill this gap. It is a portable, affordable device that detects cholera directly from water in under 20 minutes, without the need for labs or trained personnel. By targeting the earliest point in the transmission chain, our solution empowers communities to act before outbreaks begin and helps institutions respond proactively rather than reactively.

Our solution is a small, handheld cholera tester paired with a smartphone app that anyone can use to check water safety in minutes. It uses loop‑mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to detect cholera bacteria in water samples. The smartphone analyzes the results through computer vision and sends the data to a dashboard via the Open Data Kit (ODK). By leveraging ODK, the phone can upload data whenever it reconnects to the internet, enabling testing in low‑resource environments. Users collect a water sample in a single‑use test cartridge, insert it into the device, and pre‑loaded reagents change color if cholera bacteria are present. The phone’s camera reads the color shift. In under 20 minutes, the app displays a clear “Safe” or “Contaminated” result, tags the sample’s location, and sends the data to an online dashboard so decision‑makers can quickly respond. No lab equipment or special training is needed—just a phone and the tester—so communities everywhere can rapidly detect and halt cholera outbreaks.

Our solution serves rural and peri-urban communities in low-resource regions, especially households and community health workers without access to centralized labs or reliable water testing. These groups are highly vulnerable to cholera but often lack the tools or training to act early. Existing interventions, like chlorine tablets, are frequently unused due to poor guidance. To ensure adoption, we work with local health community managers already connected to institutions like WHO and UNICEF. These trusted intermediaries lead education and outreach. We’ve also designed the product to minimize learning barriers—each single-use test includes clear, step-by-step instructions via a smartphone app, so anyone can use it without prior training. When people are empowered to test water themselves and understand the result instantly, they can avoid contaminated sources, warn their neighbors, and trigger local health protocols early. Clinics are less overwhelmed. Children stay in school. Entire communities become more resilient to disease shocks. By shifting detection to the hands of the community—before illness occurs—we give people control over their health and environment. This simple act of knowing whether water is safe fundamentally changes the way people engage with public health and protect their futures.