Mali receives first mobile lab for testing Ebola

Mali has received its first mobile Ebola lab, which can be deployed to remote hotspots if needed.

Ebola has infected 17,290 people, the vast majority in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Of those, 6,128 have died.

Mali has recorded eight cases, but since it shares a border with Guinea, officials want to prepare the country in the event it spreads further.

The new lab, donated by Germany and unveiled Thursday, could be used to test samples in remote hotspots in a few hours. Previously, samples had to be brought to the capital, and a day was lost before results were known.

Speedy tests are vital to containing Ebola because infected people get treated faster and non-infected people spend less time on wards where they might catch the disease.