The United Nations Health Organization said on Friday that the test, called Alinity M MPXV, is a real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that detects DNA of the MPX virus from human skin.
This test is developed by a US company – Abbott Molecular Inc. and is designed to be used by trained clinical laboratory personnel.
An important milestone
Dr. Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Supplies, said, “This first listing of the MPOX test for urgent use is an important milestone in increasing the availability of the test in affected countries.”
Detection of virus DNA by PCR test is the gold standard for diagnosis of mpox infection.
The World Health Organization says that it is very important to investigate at a very early stage so that timely treatment and care can be initiated and this will help control the virus.
Africa has seen limited testing capacity and delays in confirming cases of empox, which have facilitated the spread of the virus.
This year, more than 30,000 cases of empox infection have been recorded in African countries, with the largest number occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Nigeria. Only 37 percent of suspected cases in the DRC have been investigated.
A global health emergency
MPox is an infectious disease caused by a virus called monkeypox (MPXV). Symptoms include a painful rash, fever, headache, muscle pain, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Its first global outbreak was in May 2022, which the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern. Under international health law, this is the highest level of health alert.
In Africa, in 2024, a remarkable spread of MPOX infections was observed, mainly in the DRC recording the highest number of infections. Following the spread of a new clade 1b variant of the disease, the World Health Organization again declared it a public health emergency of international concern on 14 August (2024).