title: Development and evaluation of a real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of Ebola virus (Zaire) during an Ebola outbreak in Guinea in 2014-2015.
abstract: In early February 2014, an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) occurred in Guinea; cases were also recorded in other West African countries with a combined population of approximately 25 million. A rapid, sensitive and inexpensive method for detecting EBOV is needed to effectively control such outbreak. Here, we report a real-time reverse-transcription PCR assay for Z. ebolavirus detection used by the Specialized Anti-epidemic Team of the Russian Federation during the Ebola virus disease prevention mission in the Republic of Guinea. The analytical sensitivity of the assay is 5 × 10(2) viral particles per ml, and high specificity is demonstrated using representative sampling of viral, bacterial and human nucleic acids. This assay can be applied successfully for detecting the West African strains of Z. ebolavirus as well as on strains isolated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2014.
authors.affiliation: Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, Moscow, Russia; RAMS Institute of Occupational Health, Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: vgdedkov@yandex.ru.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Dedkov
authors.affiliation: Laboratorie de Virologic B1568 Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry, Projet de Recherche sur les Fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée Guinea.
authors.forename: N' F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Magassouba
authors.affiliation: Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Safonova
authors.affiliation: Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, Moscow, Russia; RAMS Institute of Occupational Health, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Deviatkin
authors.affiliation: Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dolgova
authors.affiliation: State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector", Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: O V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Pyankov
authors.affiliation: State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector", Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sergeev
authors.affiliation: Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute, Microbe, Saratov, Russia.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Utkin
authors.affiliation: Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute, Microbe, Saratov, Russia.
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Odinokov
authors.affiliation: Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute, Microbe, Saratov, Russia.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Safronov
authors.affiliation: State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector", Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Agafonov
authors.affiliation: Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Maleev
authors.affiliation: Central Research Institute for Epidemiology, Federal Service on Consumers' Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Shipulin
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016701:Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012426:Russia; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Ebola Zaire virus; Ebola fever outbreak; Guinea; RT-PCR