Detection of Zaire Ebola virus by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Sierra Leone, 2014

J Virol Methods. 2015 Sep 15:222:62-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2015.05.005. Epub 2015 May 27.

Abstract

During the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was established to detect and identify the Zaire Ebola virus. We describe the use of this assay to screen 315 clinical samples from EVD suspected person in Sierra Leone. The detection rate in blood samples was 77.81% (207/266), and there were relatively higher detection rate (79.32% and 81.42%, respectively) during the first two weeks after onset of symptoms. In the two weeks that followed, the detection rate declined to 66.67% and 25.00%, respectively. There was the highest virus load at the first week and then decreased. The detection rate in swab samples was 89.79% (44/49). This may be benefit from the included patients. 46 of 49 swab samples were collected from died patients. Taken together, the results presented here indicate that the assay specifically and sensitively detects Zaire Ebola virus.

Keywords: Ebola virus disease; Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR); Zaire Ebola virus.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Ebolavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Female
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / diagnosis*
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / virology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Sierra Leone
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult