The World Health Organization has approved the first emergency test kit for monkeypox, intended for use by professionals to help contain the outbreak | WPN World People News

To effectively curb the spread of the mpox virus (formerly known as monkeypox), the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the emergency diagnostic test from Abbott Laboratories on October 3. This marks the first time the WHO has authorized such a test, which will assist affected countries in strengthening their testing capabilities to combat the outbreak.

The WHO noted that this real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, called Alinity m MPXV, can detect mpox virus DNA from skin lesion swabs and is intended for use by trained clinical laboratory personnel. In August, the WHO urged major pharmaceutical companies to submit emergency use applications for mpox rapid tests and is currently evaluating three additional emergency diagnostic tests in hopes of expanding test production for low-income populations.

In August of this year, the WHO again declared mpox a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" (PHEIC), marking the second time in two years. The mpox virus outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has spread to neighboring Burundi, Uganda, and Rwanda.

Currently, two strains of the mpox virus are circulating: the Clade I variant, which is endemic to parts of West and Central Africa, and the globally concerning, more transmissible Clade Ib variant. In addition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbors, confirmed cases of the Clade Ib virus have also been reported in Sweden, Thailand, and India.