Democratic Republic of the Congo approves “QuickNavi™-Ebola” kit for the detection of Ebola virus antigens

On June 21, 2024, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) approved the use of the “QuickNavi™-Ebola” kit for the diagnostic detection of Ebola virus antigens in humans. The kit was jointly developed by Denka Company Limited (Denka) and the International Institute for Zoonosis Control (IIZC), Hokkaido University. This follows the approval for the kit granted by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency of Japan, on March 18, 2021.

A Congolese researcher in full personal protective equipment (PPE) holding a “QuickNavi™-Ebola” kit. (Photo provided by Ayato Takada)

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a viral hemorrhagic fever with a mortality rate between 25% to 90%. There have been several outbreaks of EVD in sub-Saharan Africa; diagnosis is generally confirmed by detecting the virus genome in blood by PCR.

The kit can demonstrate diagnostic results in approximately 10 minutes, can be stored at room temperature, and requires no special equipment or devices. It is expected to be used in remote areas that are far from major cities and without adequate medical facilities. Formal approval for the use of this kit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is expected to lead to the prevention of the spread of infection by enabling early diagnosis of future cases of EVD.

Denka collaborated with Professor Ayato Takada at the IIZC to develop this rapid test for EVD. In 2018, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), they provided a prototype kit to the DR Congo. The kit was initially tested during the emergence of the EVD outbreak in Equatorial Province of the DR Congo in May 2018; it was also concurrently used with the PCR test and showed excellent performance during the epidemic outbreak in North Kivu Province and elsewhere in the DR Congo from 2018 to 2020.

“I hope that this kit will be used not only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but also in other countries where EVD outbreaks occur,” said Professor Takada.