Guinea laboratory network improves detection of viral hemorrhagic fevers

Researchers and laboratory teams in Guinea established a decentralized network of laboratories to improve the detection of viral hemorrhagic fevers in Forest Guinea.

This initiative began in late 2016 as a response to the 2014 to 2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The network includes the Laboratory for Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers in Guéckédou, which opened in 2017, and a strengthened laboratory at the regional hospital in N'Zérékoré.

The laboratories operate under the mandate of the Guinean Ministry of Health and provide free molecular diagnostics for several viruses, including Ebola, Marburg, Lassa, yellow fever, and dengue. Between 2017 and 2024, the teams tested 4,683 samples from suspected cases and provided results in an average of one day. These facilities allowed for the rapid identification of a resurgence of Ebola and the emergence of Marburg virus disease in 2021.

The study also revealed that Lassa fever was previously underestimated in the region due to a lack of local testing. Between 2020 and 2024, the laboratories confirmed 30 cases of Lassa fever, where approximately 67.9 percent of patients with known outcomes died. While the program has successfully created a model for community-based disease prevention, researchers note that securing long-term funding beyond current international donor programs remains a primary challenge.