The World Health Organization has assessed and cleared an Ebola test that shows results in as little as 15 minutes.
Although previous tests are more accurate, they can take as long as 24 hours to show results, wasting valuable time to contain, treat and isolate an Ebola victim.
The ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test Kit, made by U.S. medical firm Corgenix, is unique in that it is "based on detection of the Ebola protein rather than nucleic acid," WHO said.
What's more, it's easy to perform and doesn't require electricity, making it easier to use in community care clinics and mobile healthcare facilities throughout the western African countries at the heart of the current Ebola outbreak. Previously, Ebola has been tested in labs using commercial or in-house tests, which "require well-established laboratories and fully trained personnel."
The rapid test is now "eligible for procurement to Ebola-affected countries" -- Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- where more than 23,000 people have been infected by the virus, which currently has no cure.
