Current and future diagnostic tests for ebola virus disease

Abstract

Purpose. Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a major public health concern with a high mortality rate in infected individuals. Outbreaks of Ebola have been widespread-there is no rapid, sensitive, specific, and affordable diagnostic test for the virus, nor there is any treatment for the disease. Overlapping symptoms of other endemic diseases, such as malaria and cholera, make it difficult to diagnose EVD. For clinical management, outbreak investigation, and proper surveillance, EVD requires a detection system, which should be fast, sensitive, specific, efficient, affordable, and user-friendly with in-country staff. In this review, we discuss the current diagnostics available for Ebola screening, along with the limitations and key improvements necessary for a more robust system to facilitate efficient management in case of another major outbreak.