Diagnosis and management of Ebola samples in the laboratory

ABSTRACT

The magnitude of the 2014–2016 West African Ebola virus outbreak has highlighted the importance of immediate and rapid deployment of control measures in affected areas. While many prophylactic and therapeutic options entered clinical trials in the past two years, larger use to impact on Ebola spread will not be possible until at least one product meets final approval by regulatory agencies. Control of the West African outbreak was achieved almost entirely by breaking chain of transmissions through case identification and specialized treatment, communication, safe burials and other proven methods. To achieve this in a timely manner, epidemiologists and medical teams are working in concert with laboratories to identify infected individuals and provide care within Ebola treatment units. Herein, we review an outbreak response workflow from the point of view of mobile laboratories and summarize methods that have been used by them during the West African Ebola virus outbreak of 2014–2016.

KEYWORDS:

• Ebola virus
• laboratory
• outbreak
• diagnosis
• sample management
• point-of-care testing

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank E. Mendoza for assisting with figure design and Y. Deschambault for providing pictures from Sierra Leone. The authors would also like to thank everyone who was involved in outbreak response, both locally and internationally, and worked together with the sole goal of putting an end to the 2014-2015 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.

Declaration of interests

This work was supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.