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Recent viral outbreaks highlight the need for reliable, yet broadly deployable diagnostics for detection of epidemic and emerging pathogens. In this study we designed and optimized methods to visually detect viral nucleic acid by isothermal amplification and SYBR dye intercalation. We designed and tested loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) primers and lyophilized reactions to optimize the detection of Zaire Ebola Virus (ZEBOV) and further evolved the LAMP platform to allow room-temperature storage for deployment in resource limited settings. Our results demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity for viral nucleic acid sequences with lower limits of detection of less than 100 copies. Moreover, lyophilized reaction mixtures retained activity for prolonged periods under dry conditions at room temperature. This approach offers a way for detection of emerging viruses in resource limited settings.