Japanese researchers have developed a field test that significantly cuts down the time it takes to diagnose the killer viral disease.  Nagasaki University’s Institute of Tropical Medicine kit has it down to 11 minutes, down from the current 90-minutes.

Time is of the essence in treating Ebola.  As we’ve seen in case after case in the West African Ebola Outbreak, the earlier a patient is identified, isolated, and treated, the better the outcome. 

“The result time was unexpectedly short,” said Professor Jiro Yasuda.  His team conducted a trial in Guinea last month on 100 samples, of which 47 proved positive – but all were accurate.  The Guinean government was so impressed it asked the University to get with its partner Toshiba and supply equipment to roll out the test.

The 11-minute diagnostic tool cuts in half the time used by a British version introduced in Sierra Leone last month. Developed by British military scientists and NHS medics, it takes 20 minutes, but can be administrated at bedside.  The Japanese test requires heating a blood sample, and that might be best done in a laboratory.

The West African Ebola Epidemic has killed more than 10,000 people since January 2014, primarily in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.