Belgium takes the lead in the fight against Ebola
The Belgian biotechnology company Biocartis wants to get its new, fast Ebola test to West Africa as quickly as possible. The Rapid Ebola Virus Triage Test was already being researched in European and American laboratories, but now Biocartis wants to take it into the field.
The new Ebola test was developed in collaboration with Janssen Diagnostics and the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Antwerp using the Idylla diagnostic apparatus by Biocartis. Only 0.2 millilitres of the patient’s blood is needed for the apparatus to complete the analysis, fully automatically, in one and a half hours. The test was developed so that it could be easily carried out under difficult conditions and with limited infrastructure. The test offers the advantages of speed, sensitivity and accuracy as well as ease of use. ”One of the lessons that we have learned from the Ebola outbreak is that there is an urgent need for faster and more accurate diagnoses”, Biocartis says. The product being developed can, according to the company, “offer a suitable solution for healthcare workers worldwide to carry out faster testing for infectious diseases under practically all circumstances.”
Ebola is a viral disease that infects humans and which is caused by the Ebola virus. The disease is rare and occurs in the form of regional outbreaks in countries in Central Africa. The name Ebola originates from the river Ebola in the Congo where in 1976 a second outbreak occurred and Ebola was recognised for the first time by the Belgian doctor Peter Piot. The disease has a high death rate and there is currently no specific treatment or medicine available to combat the virus.
Throughout the present Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Belgium – as a home base for Brussels Airlines – has been praised by various organisations because it is the only country that continued sending flights to the region. The crucial role that Brussels Airlines has played in transporting medical staff and material is constantly stressed.