--- description: A new diagnostic test for Ebola is faster and just as sensitive as lab diagnostics, finds a new study published in The Lancet title: A Rapid Ebola Test Can Diagnose the Disease In Just Minutes image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt76a3332e55065d4f/698858752dce0108619e45cc/gettyimages-521695521-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [ebola](/tag/ebola/) ## ebola Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Rapid Ebola Test Can Diagnose the Disease In Just Minutes by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 25, 2015 11:01 PM CUT  Ebola virus Ebola virusGetty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 25, 2015 11:01 PM CUT A new Ebola diagnostic test that can identify in minutes whether a person has Ebola has proven to be faster and just as sensitive as diagnostics performed in a lab, according to [new data](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736%2815%2961042-X "undefined") published in the journal _The Lancet_. Currently, to confirm someone has Ebola, a vial of blood must be sent to a specialized laboratory where it is tested. The new rapid diagnostic test (RDT), called Corgenix ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test kit, can be done right at the bedside with just a drop of blood. A rapid test puts fewer people at risk of infection, significantly cuts down on waiting time and helps health care workers determine who has the disease so they can be quickly isolated. In a study of 106 suspected Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, researchers tested the patients with both the new tool and the standard laboratory procedure. They found that both tests detected all of the confirmed cases of Ebola, and the RDT was faster. “Although the RDT requires refrigeration, this is already available in many health centers in endemic areas, particularly those that store vaccines and other medical products,” said study co-author Dr. Jana Broadhurst from Partners In Health in a statement. The current Ebola outbreak infected 27,443 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, killing 11,207\. Though the outbreak appears to be waning, having a better diagnostic tool is still desirable—and having a tool at the ready, should another outbreak arise in the future, could be critical to quicker diagnosis. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3936502/rapid-ebola-test/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3936502/rapid-ebola-test/"},"headline":"A Rapid Ebola Test Can Diagnose the Disease In Just Minutes","datePublished":"2015-06-25T23:01:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T08:33:32.048Z","description":"The new test is faster and as effective as the current standard practice, one study finds","url":"https://time.com/3936502/rapid-ebola-test/","keywords":["ebola","Sierra Leone","Guinea","Liberia"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt76a3332e55065d4f/698858752dce0108619e45cc/gettyimages-521695521-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt76a3332e55065d4f/698858752dce0108619e45cc/gettyimages-521695521-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"521695521","caption":"521695521","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/ebola/","name":"ebola"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3936502/rapid-ebola-test/","name":"A Rapid Ebola Test Can Diagnose the Disease In Just Minutes"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Contact Tracing: How To Trace The Spread of Ebola","description":"Health officials in the US are using a method known as contact tracing, to see who is at risk from Ebola.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/EJ3m56cA/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-10-02T18:25:06.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EJ3m56cA.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3936502/rapid-ebola-test/","duration":"PT1M49S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3936502/rapid-ebola-test/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```