British researchers have developed a fast, simple and affordable blood test, specific to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, to diagnose the deadly disease.
With the current epidemic of Ebola virus in West Africa, scientists are racing to provide an easy-to-use, affordable solution for screening suspect Ebola patients.
High-tech British company Primerdesign Ltd, a spin-off from the University of Southampton, has now developed a fast and simple diagnostic test solution specific to the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
"Accurate diagnostics is essential in controlling an outbreak like Ebola. There is an urgent need for rapid testing to screen suspected patients and people travelling in and out of the region," said Dr Jim Wicks, Managing Director of Primerdesign.
"Our test is quick, affordable and easy to perform," Wicks added.
The test can detect even minute quantities of the disease in the early stages allowing for pre-emptive health-care intervention, researchers said.
Primerdesign is in discussions with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to possibly put large numbers of these tests in to the front line in West Africa as quickly as possible.
"Viruses have a unique genetic fingerprint the same as we do. Ours is encoded in DNA but the Ebola virus uses RNA (Ribonucleic acid). So the kit is designed to specifically detect the Ebola RNA in a patient blood sample," researchers said.
To conduct the test, blood sample is taken from a patient and RNA is extracted using a few simple steps. RNA is then placed in a tube with kit ingredients. The tube is inserted into the machine and analysis completes within 90 minutes.
