French scientists devise fast-track test for Ebola

A new device similar to a simple pregnancy home-test could allow doctors to diagnose a patient with suspected Ebola in under 15 minutes, its French developers said on Tuesday.

A new device similar to a simple pregnancy home-test could allow doctors to diagnose a patient with suspected Ebola in under 15 minutes, its French developers said on Tuesday.

Trials at a high-security lab have validated the technique and prototype kits should be available in Ebola-hit countries by the end of October for a clinical trial, France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) said in a statement.

The diagnostic tool, not yet approved by regulators, works by monoclonal antibodies reacting to the presence of virus in a tiny sample, which can be a drop of blood, plasma or urine, it said.

A European pharma company Vedalab is turning it into a user-friendly kit called Ebola eZYSCREEN.

Similar to a DIY pregnancy test, a positive result sees a small stripe showing up in a results window on the hand-held device.