title: Molecular detection and point-of-care testing in Ebola virus disease and other threats: a new global public health framework to stop outbreaks.
abstract: Ultrahigh sensitivity and specificity assays that detect Ebola virus disease or other highly contagious and deadly diseases quickly and successfully upstream in Spatial Care Paths™ can stop outbreaks from escalating into devastating epidemics ravaging communities locally and countries globally. Even had the WHO and CDC responded more quickly and not misjudged the dissemination of Ebola in West Africa and other world regions, mobile rapid diagnostics were, and still are, not readily available for immediate and definitive diagnosis, a stunning strategic flaw that needs correcting worldwide. This article strategizes point-of-care testing for diagnosis, triage, monitoring, recovery and stopping outbreaks in the USA and other countries; reviews Ebola molecular diagnostics, summarizes USA FDA emergency use authorizations and documents why they should not be stop-gaps; and reduces community risk from internal and external infectious disease threats by enabling public health at points of need.
authors.forename: Gerald J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Kost
authors.affiliation: a University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: a University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: Anh-Thu
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.affiliation: a University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoe
authors.affiliation: a University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: Daisy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prom
authors.affiliation: a University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: Arirat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banpavichit
authors.affiliation: a University of California, Davis, USA.
authors.forename: Surin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kongpila
mesh_terms: D002959:Civil Defense; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D051188:Knowledge Bases; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Ebola; Ebola diagnostic center; emergency use authorization; facilitated-access self-testing; point-of-care; public health resilience; ultrahigh sensitivity; ultrahigh specificity