Therapy Areas: Infectious Diseases
Cepheid's Xpert Hemorrhagic Fever Panel test granted WHO Emergency Use Listing to support DRC Ebola outbreak response
4 September 2026 -

Molecular diagnostics company Cepheid, a Danaher (NYSE:DHR) company, announced on Thursday that it has received Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Xpert Hemorrhagic Fever Panel test to support the diagnostic response to the Ebola Bundibugyo (BDBV) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

This listing enables healthcare providers and public health authorities to leverage Cepheid's rapid molecular testing technology to help identify suspected cases and support timely outbreak containment efforts. The WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May 2026.

Cepheid's Xpert Hemorrhagic Fever Panel test detects and identifies nucleic acids of Ebola virus (including Zaire, Sudan, Taï Forest, and Bundibugyo, not differentiated), as well as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus, Marburg virus, and Lassa virus. The time to result is about one hour. The assay runs on Cepheid's GeneXpert Dx systems, which are widely deployed across Africa, an established infrastructure that can support rapid implementation of decentralized testing in affected regions.

During the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, the Xpert Ebola test received FDA Emergency Use Authorization and was deployed throughout affected regions, helping expand access to rapid molecular testing.

In June 2026, Cepheid donated an initial shipment of Xpert Hemorrhagic Fever tests FDA 510(k) cleared for use by the US Department of Defense and part of DoD's Next Generation Diagnostics System 2 Program to support the response in the DRC.

Cepheid says that the WHO EUL enables it to expand its work with public health partners, laboratories, and healthcare providers to help improve diagnostic access in affected communities.

Login
Username:

Password: