ABSTRACT
The Ebola virus is a member of the family Filoviridae, which is the cause for Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). The single-stranded,
negative-sense RNA virus, which can produce high-mortality disease
in humans and nonhuman primates, has caused sporadic outbreaks
in Central Africa throughout the last 40 years. Public health concerns
about Ebola have increased in recent years due to large natural
outbreaks and its potential use as a bioweapon agent. Despite the
capabilities of laboratory diagnostics, the initial diagnosis of Ebola
infection is based on clinical assessment. Today, laboratories located
in high-risk areas are still not equipped to diagnose Ebola infections;
thus specimens must be sent to reference laboratories around the
world for viral confirmation. This chapter reviews current diagnos-
tic methods and further aspects involved in the identification of the
Ebola virus. The important features of each method are discussed
and compared, along with an introduction to novel advanced
biosensors and future technological tools for viral detection.
