Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Ebola test results now in 15 minutes!

Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Nov, 2014 12:46 PM
    A 15-minute blood and saliva test for Ebola is to be tried in Guinea.
     
    The project, led by the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal, uses a "mobile suitcase laboratory", BBC reported.
     
    It is portable, solar-powered and can be used at room temperature.
     
    The project is being funded by the Wellcome Trust medical charity and the Britain's Department for International Development.
     
    "A reliable, 15-minute test that can confirm cases of Ebola would be a key tool for effective management of the Ebola outbreak - allowing patients to be identified, isolated and cared for as soon as possible," an official from Wellcome Trust said. 
     
    "It not only gives patients a better chance of survival, but it prevents transmission of the virus to other people."
     
    "This pilot study is particularly promising because researchers have considered how to make the test suitable for use in remote field hospitals, where resources -- such as electricity and cold storage are often in short supply," the official added.
     
    Ebola is currently diagnosed by hunting for the virus's genetic material in the blood of a patient.
     
    But it requires dedicated laboratories that can keep the components of the test at very low temperatures.
     
    Patients in Conakry will still have the proven test, but the new faster method will be trialed at the same time so the results can be compared.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    New transformation technique to repair damaged tissue

    New transformation technique to repair damaged tissue
    By transforming human scar cells into blood vessel cells, scientists have discovered a new way to repair damaged tissue....

    New transformation technique to repair damaged tissue

    Facebook to be mostly video in five years

    Facebook to be mostly video in five years
    According to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the social networking site will be mostly video in next five years....

    Facebook to be mostly video in five years

    A new drug to treat a common liver disease

    A new drug to treat a common liver disease
    An experimental drug aimed at treating a common liver disease came up with promising results at a clinical trial in the US....

    A new drug to treat a common liver disease

    Living near tobacco shops bad for your kids

    Living near tobacco shops bad for your kids
    Teenagers are much more likely to take up smoking if they live in neighbourhoods with a large number of shops that sell tobacco products, a study suggests....

    Living near tobacco shops bad for your kids

    Scientists create Parkinson's disease in lab

    Scientists create Parkinson's disease in lab
      To unravel what actually goes wrong in people with Parkinson's disease and find out potential new therapy, scientists have successfully created....

    Scientists create Parkinson's disease in lab

    Premature babies at higher risk of brain disorders

    Premature babies at higher risk of brain disorders
    In the early stages of brain growth, a disturbance like a premature birth could affect its neuro-circuitry, leading to a higher risk of neurological disorders, says a new research....

    Premature babies at higher risk of brain disorders