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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 22, 2014 11:49 AM IST
French scientists have developed a new device, similar to that used in a pregnancy kit, that could allow doctors to diagnose a patient with suspected Ebola within 15 minutes. The diagnostic kit is yet to be approved, although the trials have validated the technique in high-security lab. According to the statement released by France's Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the prototype kits should be available in Ebola-hit countries by the end of October for another round of clinical trial.
The diagnostic kit is based on the principle that monoclonal antibodies react in the presence of virus present in a tiny sample. If the virus is present in a drop of blood, plasma or urine, a positive result could be seen as a small strip on the hand held tool, just like the result seen in a pregnancy test. A European pharma company Vedalab is turning it into a user-friendly kit called Ebola eZYSCREEN. (Read: 8 tips to prevent Ebola infection)
The kit is simple to use in the field without any additional equipment, said the CEA, which also does non-nuclear research with a possible military or security application. 'It can give a result in less than 15 minutes for anyone showing symptoms of the disease,' it said. 'Current tests, which are based on genetic detection of the virus, are highly sensitive but need special equipment, take between two and a quarter and two and a half hours and can only be carried out in a lab,' the CEA explained. (Read: What is the Ebola incubation period?)
This research had "saved more than a year" in development time of the diagnostic test, the CEA said. More than 4,500 people have been killed by Ebola since the start of the year, almost all of them in west Africa. The epidemic has thrown the spotlight on poor infrastructure in the three hardest-hit nations but also the lack of weapons to tackle a disease that until now had been extremely rare and claimed relatively few lives. Other pharmaceutical teams are also working on fast diagnostic tools for Ebola. They include Primerdesign, a spinoff company of Britain's University of Southampton, and Corgenix Medical Corp of the United States. (Read: Ebola facts frequently asked questions (FAQ))
What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?
The Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe clinical condition that has threatened the entire world. It is caused by a virus of Filoviridae family. Although 5 types of Ebola virus have been identified, only four have been found to cause the disease in humans. The virus spreads easily through close contact with bodily fluids (like semen, saliva, blood and sweat), skin or objects (like needles or garments) of an infected person.
This disease that is highly infectious kills more than 90% of the individuals being infected with the virus (which means that the mortality rate of the Ebola disease is 90%). Hence only 10% of the individuals being infected with the virus survive i.e., the survival rate of the Ebola infection is only 10%. Read more about What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?
With inputs from PTI
Photo source: Getty images
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