Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

BD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS

BD Diagnostics manufactures and markets medical supplies and devices and diagnostic systems that include cellular ana... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




POC Diagnostic Differentiates Ebola from Endemic Febrile Diseases

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 24 Dec 2018
Hemorrhagic fever outbreaks such as Ebola are difficult to detect and control because of the lack of low-cost, easily deployable diagnostics and because initial clinical symptoms mimic other endemic diseases such as malaria.

Current molecular diagnostic methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) require trained personnel and laboratory infrastructure, hindering diagnostics at the point of need. More...
Although rapid tests such as lateral flow can be broadly deployed, they are typically not well suited for differentiating among multiple diseases presenting with similar symptoms.

An international team of scientists cooperating with the Becton, Dickinson and Company (Research Triangle Park, NC, USA) developed a portable test for Ebola designed for use in remote settings. The platform, which is based on a protein detection technology known as Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), works by adding a small sample of blood to pre-packaged vials containing dried, temperature-stable chemicals. The vial is mixed for 30 minutes before being transferred to a reader that detects light signals associated with viral particles. The reader then delivers results on whether the patient is infected with Ebola, Lassa or malaria in 30 seconds.

After successfully testing their device in monkey models of Ebola, the team conducted field tests in Senegal and Guinea using 190 blood samples from Ebola patients that were gathered during the 2014 outbreak, 163 samples from malaria patients and 233 samples from non-infected individuals. The test correctly detected the presence of Ebola in 90% of the Ebola samples, compared to a detection rates ranging from 65% to 92% for other rapid diagnostic tests and a rate of 95.7% associated with a standard RT-PCR diagnostic. It also showed excellent capabilities for detecting malaria, detecting infections in 100% of the malaria samples. These results, along with corresponding live virus and nonhuman primate testing of an Ebola, Lassa, and malaria 3-plex assay, indicate the potential of the SERS technology as an important tool for outbreak detection and clinical triage in low-resource settings.

John H. Connor, PhD, an associate professor of microbiology and senior author of the study, said, “One challenge in diagnosing Ebola and other infectious diseases with similar symptoms is the lack of an easy test to identify people with these conditions that can be used in the field. In this first feasibility study, our method showed good performance compared to existing laboratory tests for Ebola. If fully developed and commercialized, it could be more portable and less expensive than existing RT-PCR assays.” The study was published on December 12, 2018, in the journal Science Translational Medicine.


New
Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Specimen Radiography System
TrueView 200 Pro
New
Gold Member
Serological Pipets
INTEGRA Serological Pipets
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more

Pathology

view channel
These images illustrate how precision oncology Organ Chips recapitulate individual patients’ responses to chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Cancer Chip Accurately Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Response

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the two primary types of esophageal cancer, ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and currently lacks effective targeted therapies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.