WHO approves Ebola test reagent developed by Chinese firm

Beijing, May 1: An Ebola test reagent developed by a Chinese firm has been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), media reported on Thursday.

Developed by the Shanghai ZJ Bio-Tech Cby, the real time diagnostic kit has now been placed in the list of eligible for WHO procurement, China.org reported.

The kit is recommended to be used to diagnose Ebola virus disease worldwide.

A total of only tree kits have been approved by the WHO so far. The two others were developed by US and German firms.

Shanghai ZJ Bio-tech Co., LTD is a high-tech enterprises who focuses on developing, manufacturing and selling of nucleic acid diagnostic reagent.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), since the Ebola outbreak began, more than 24,000 people in nine countries have been infected with the virus, and over 10,000 have died.

Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone were the three countries worst affected by Ebola.

Ebola is a form of haemorrhagic fever, symptoms of which are diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, faeces or sweat. It can also be spread through sexual contact or unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.

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