Labs ready for Ebola testing as MoH ramps up containment preps

All samples collected from suspected Ebola cases will be transported to Kemri laboratories for testing and analysis.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that only four labs based at Kemri have the capacity to conduct the tests.

Health experts said labs used for testing Covid-19 samples will not be used in Ebola testing due to the complexity and lethal nature of the virus.

Kenya has 115 molecular testing labs, but only four laboratories have negative pressure level III lab requirements for testing Ebola and are accredited by the World Health Organization.

A negative pressure system is one that ventilates air out of the laboratory.

WHO notes that when a spill or accident occurs, the negative pressure in the biosafety level III laboratory prevents these pathogens from leaving the room.

“The first referral and first hope for any case of Ebola at the beginning of the outbreak if there comes will be the Kemri viral hemorrhagic lab which is WHO accredited,” head department of lab services at the ministry John Kiiru said.

“It has a lot of knowledge on viral hemorrhagics, but we are likely to pressurise the others in case many cases will appear.” 

Other labs likely to be used include the CDC lab in Kisumu, CDC Nairobi, Walter Reed lab in Kericho, Walter Reed lab in Kilifi and the Nagasaki University Institute of Tropical Medicine laboratory.

According to CDC, diagnosing Ebola virus shortly after infection can be difficult.

CDC says polymerase chain reaction is one of the most commonly used diagnostic methods because of its ability to detect low levels of Ebola virus.

“PCR methods can detect the presence of a few virus particles in small amounts of blood, but the ability to detect the virus increases as the amount of virus increases during an active infection,” CDC says.

Kiiru, however, said the way to handle the samples and to decontaminate and archive the samples is different from Covid-19.

“That is why we are saying if you suspect and you have a molecular lab that you have been doing Covid and there is a suspected ebola case do not test it because you may not have the negative lab. Just call us and we will have a way of getting that sample and doing the right testing in the right conditions,” he said.

Uganda health authorities declared an outbreak of Ebola disease on September 19.

At least 36 cases have been confirmed and 23 deaths reported, with a case fatality rate of 64 per cent.

Edited by A.N