Five manufacturers advance rapid tests for Bundibugyo Ebola strain

Five manufacturers have been chosen to start field trials of rapid antigen tests for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus strain in eastern Congo. The trials aim to produce tests that can identify the virus in live patients' blood samples. Current laboratory testing often requires days for results, and no rapid test has been approved for this strain.

Outbreak status Government data released Wednesday showed the outbreak, declared May 15, has infected 1,406 people and killed 438 across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. Officials are also tracing possible exposures in two additional provinces.

Responders face an under-prepared health system strained by foreign aid cuts and a population distrustful of officials after decades of conflict. Ten laboratories can now test for the strain, and three types of tests are in use.

Test development timeline FIND's head of business development said initial tests could reach the field by mid-July. Final rollout depends on regulatory approval and manufacturers' ability to scale production to thousands of units. The International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat stated that antigen rapid tests could accelerate case identification at lower cost and greater speed than molecular testing.

FIND is also seeking manufacturers for cartridge-based molecular tests that require limited training and can be used closer to patients.