CCHF Diagnostic & Therapeutics Package – combined diagnostic innovation and early-phase trials (UMIT)

The challenge

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the world’s deadliest tick-borne diseases, with mortality rates reaching as high as 40%. This rare but devastating illness causes flu-like symptoms that rapidly progress to internal bleeding, organ failure and shock, typically proving fatal within 5 to 14 days of onset. The disease has been spreading beyond its traditional boundaries in Africa and Asia, with recent cases detected in Spain and infected ticks discovered in France.

The diagnostic challenge is equally urgent. Current methods rely on PCR laboratory tests that often take up to 10 days to produce results. Given CCHF’s rapid progression and short incubation period, these delays mean patients may die before receiving a diagnosis, while health authorities cannot respond quickly enough to prevent outbreaks from spreading. The WHO has classified CCHF as a priority disease for research and development due to its epidemic potential and the critical need for rapid diagnostic solutions.

About the project

Researchers at LSTM have developed the world’s first rapid, point-of-care test for CCHF, offering a groundbreaking solution that can identify cases within 30 minutes. This lateral flow test enables healthcare workers to diagnose CCHF quickly without laboratory equipment, potentially saving lives by speeding up treatment and reducing the spread of outbreaks.

The project was led by Dr Caitlin Thompson, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at LSTM, working closely with Dr Emily Adams and the Global Access Diagnostics (GADx) team. The research was funded by NIHR and The Pandemic Institute, with rigorous evaluation conducted in partnership with clinicians and academics in Turkey and Iraq—countries experiencing the highest burden of CCHF globally. LSTM researchers have secured £1.3 million from the Medical Research Council to progress the prototype rapid test towards commercialisation.

Our strategies & approaches

Lateral flow innovation for immediate diagnosis

The CCHF rapid test harnesses lateral flow technology—the same trusted approach used in home pregnancy tests—to detect viral antigens within 30 minutes. This breakthrough requires no specialised training, laboratory facilities or equipment, making it ideal for use in remote areas where CCHF outbreaks typically occur. Health workers can get instant results, enabling immediate treatment decisions and swift infection control measures.

Strategic partnerships with endemic regions

Our research team collaborated directly with clinicians and academics in Turkey and Iraq—countries that bear the heaviest CCHF burden, with over 1,000 cases annually in Turkey alone. This partnership ensured that the test was rigorously evaluated using real patient samples over several years, demonstrating its reliability in affected communities.

Systematic development for maximum impact

Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the G7’s call for 100-day pandemic response capabilities, LSTM developed a comprehensive development pipeline specifically for WHO priority pathogens. This methodical approach enabled our team to generate 47 monoclonal antibodies and evaluate over 2,300 potential combinations, systematically optimising every component to create the most effective test possible.

Our key findings & impacts

World’s first rapid diagnostic breakthrough for a priority pathogen

LSTM has achieved what no other research institution worldwide has accomplished—creating the first rapid diagnostic test for CCHF. Clinical evaluation demonstrated remarkable performance: achieved 90.4% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity in prospective samples from Turkey, surpassing international standards for diagnostic accuracy. This innovation represents a genuine world-first that transforms how we can respond to this deadly disease.

Addressing a critical global health gap

Before this breakthrough, there were no CCHF rapid diagnostic tests available anywhere—not for research, not for clinical use, and not for outbreak response. Our innovation addresses a challenge that WHO identified as urgent for pandemic preparedness.

Recognition and continued innovation

The project’s exceptional promise attracted £1.3 million in follow-on funding from the Medical Research Council to develop the prototype into a market-ready device. This substantial investment reflects both the innovation’s potential to save lives and confidence in LSTM’s ability to translate groundbreaking research into practical health solutions.

Advancing pandemic preparedness capabilities

By successfully developing this test, LSTM has demonstrated world-leading capacity in rapid diagnostic development for high-priority pathogens. This expertise creates a platform that can be rapidly deployed when future disease threats emerge, directly supporting global pandemic preparedness goals established after COVID-19.

Our partners

The CCHF rapid test project represents a successful international collaboration bringing together diagnostic expertise, clinical knowledge, and public health priorities.

• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
• The Pandemic Institute
• Global Access Diagnostics (GADx)
• Ministry of Health CCHF National Reference Laboratory, Ankara, Turkey
• Clinical facilities across Turkey (six regional sites)
• Central Public Health Laboratory, Baghdad, Iraq
• Medical Research Council (MRC)