Rapid Fire
`WHO Approves First Mpox Diagnostic Test
- 21 Oct 2024
- 1 min read
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed the first Mpox in vitro diagnostic under its Emergency Use Listing procedure.
- About: Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is a DNA virus. It was first identified in monkeys in 1958 but has since been found to infect humans as well.
- Transmission: Primarily transmitted to humans from animals, particularly rodents and primates, through direct contact or through contaminated objects.
- Symptoms: Fever, headache, muscle aches, and a characteristic rash that progresses from macules to papules to vesicles and pustules.
- Global Outbreak: In August 2024, WHO declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency, leading to coordinated efforts to control its spread.
- Emergency Test:
- The emergency use approval of the Alinity m MPXV assay, developed by Abbott Molecular Inc, will play a crucial role in enhancing diagnostic capacity in countries experiencing Mpox outbreaks.
- Currently, 35 laboratories across India are equipped to test suspected cases of Mpox.
Read more: WHO Declares Mpox a PHEIC
