The monkeypox virus has raised significant concerns given its recent spread, with more than 2500 confirmed cases in 37 countries [1]. These cases are especially unusual as they have not occurred among travelers returning from the tropical rainforest regions of Central and West Africa, the common circulation area for the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an alert level 2 for the monkeypox virus.
With the current uncertainty surrounding the clinical implications of the monkeypox virus, it is crucial to closely monitor its spread and provide reliable diagnostic solutions for its identification. This virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which encompasses pathogenic viruses like smallpox (Variola virus; eradicated), cowpox or buffalopox, which exhibit similar symptoms in infected patients.
The Mplex Monkeypox, Orthopox Real-time PCR assay uses a generic target for orthopox viruses and a specific target for monkeypox and will be available for research use only from the beginning of July. This product complements Gold Standard Diagnostics Europe’s suite of assays developed in response to infectious diseases, such as the GSD NovaPrime and NovaType assay families, developed for SARS-CoV-2 detection and variant identification.
Reference
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html