[Guardian] WHO approves 15-minute test for Ebola

The first rapid test for the Ebola virus, which can deliver a result in 15 minutes, has been approved by the World Health Organisation for use in west Africa. A quick and easy test that can be used in rural African settings rather than relying on the transport of samples to distant labs is much needed in the Ebola epidemic, and several companies have been working to produce one. The ReEBOV Antigen rapid test kit, which now has a WHO seal of approval, is made by Corgenix in the US. Instead of testing for the genetic material of the virus – its nucleic acid – the test detects the Ebola protein. It is less definitive, but trials have shown that it can correctly identify about 92% of Ebola-infected patients and clear 85% of those not infected with the virus.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]