LONDON (Reuters) - An international team of scientists has developed an easy-to-use, rapid test for chlamydia.

The "Firstburst" test gives results in less than 25 minutes and will cost as little as 70 U.S. cents in developing countries.

"One of the key features of this test is that it is not just rapid and easy to perform but sample -- taking is very simple," Dr. Helen Lee, of the University of Cambridge, England, who headed the research team, said in an interview.

The dipstick test picks up the bacterium in urine samples from men and from a vaginal swab in women. It is designed to be used in clinics but Lee said her ultimate goal is that women will be able to test themselves.

"It is simple enough for women to do that but in the first instance it needs to be used in inner-city clinics and primary healthcare centers," she said.

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In 1999, about 92 million new cases of the illness were recorded, according to the World Health Organization.

The healthcare costs of treating the illness each year are about $3.5 billion in the United States and $65 million in Britain.

"It's vital the test is instant and not expensive," Lee added. "If you've living in a country where you have to walk for several hours or even a day to get to a clinic, it's extremely unlikely you would bother to make the return trip a week later to get the result of a check-up."

The researchers are in talks with various companies to deal with the sales and distribution of the test. Lee hopes the test will eventually be produced in developing countries.

Dr. Ted Bianco, of the Wellcome Trust charity, which funded the research, said the test has the potential to help millions of people.

"The dipstick is one of a new generation of rapid tests that can revolutionize diagnostics and aid the timely provision of treatment for those most in need," he said in a statement.

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