title: Diagnostics in Ebola Virus Disease in Resource-Rich and Resource-Limited Settings.
abstract: The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa was unprecedented in scale and location. Limited access to both diagnostic and supportive pathology assays in both resource-rich and resource-limited settings had a detrimental effect on the identification and isolation of cases as well as individual patient management. Limited access to such assays in resource-rich settings resulted in delays in differentiating EVD from other illnesses in returning travellers, in turn utilising valuable resources until a diagnosis could be made. This had a much greater impact in West Africa, where it contributed to the initial failure to contain the outbreak. This review explores diagnostic assays of use in EVD in both resource-rich and resource-limited settings, including their respective limitations, and some novel assays and approaches that may be of use in future outbreaks.
authors: Public Health Laboratory Manchester, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom.|University College London, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, Department of Infection, London United Kingdom.
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Shorten
authors: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College London Hospital, London, United Kingdom.|King's Sierra Leone Partnership, King's Centre for Global Health, King's College London, and King's Health Partners, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Colin S
authors: CS
authors: Brown
authors: Department of Infection, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Jacobs
authors: Department of Infection, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Rattenbury
authors: University College London, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, Department of Infection, London United Kingdom.|Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory, Public Health England, Salisbury, United Kingdom.
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Simpson
authors: Department of Infection, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Mepham
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D029043:Ebolavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D014195:Travel