Results of Ebola suspect’s tests due this week - MRI
by Carol Aloysius
The long awaited results of Sri Lanka’s first suspected victim of the
dreaded Ebola virus who died a fortnight ago, are likely to be released
this week.
Director, Medical Research Institute (MRI) Dr Sumith Ananda told the
Sunday Observer, that the MRI had received approval from the virology
laboratory in Pune, India to send the samples on Thursday and assured
that the samples would be despatched by tomorrow.
“We are grateful to the Pune laboratory which volunteered to do the
testing free, the WHO, and the virologists at the MRI who have been
continuously communicating with Pune”, he said. “When the samples are
received by the Pune laboratory, the results could be released between
24 to 48 hours and we can expect them by mid week or so,” he said.
“Sending a toxic and infectious material to a laboratory in another
country for virology testing is expensive, time-consuming and a tedious
procedure, involving multiple agencies.
Any delay is due to the complicated procedure involved”, he said
adding that the private courier through whom the samples were being
sent, had informed the MRI that it would take a minimum of three working
days for the samples to reach them.” This will minimise the infection
spread of any disease, during transit,” he said.
Asked about the likelihood of the samples testing positive, he said,
“ The chances are extremely remote.
The woman had died after a three-day pilgrimage to India. There are
no cases of Ebola reported from India up to now”.
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