Amid the ongoing monkeypox scare, a medical device company on Friday announced that it has developed a real-time RT-PCR-based kit for detecting the monkeypox (orthopoxvirus) virus. The World Health Organization said on Friday that worldwide monkeypox cases have risen to 200 and cases have been reported in 20 countries.
“The research and development team of Trivitron Healthcare has developed an RT-PCR based kit for the detection of monkeypox virus. Trivitron’s monkeypox Real-time PCR kit is a four color fluorescence based kit, which can differentiate between smallpox and monkeypox in a single tube single reaction format, with a total turnaround time of 1 hour.
“The WHO The recommended sample type for laboratory confirmation of monkeypox is skin wound material, including the wound surface and/or exudate, the ridges of more than one wound, or wound crusts. Hence, both the dry swab and the swab kept in the VTM can be used.”
Meanwhile, Maria van Kerkhove, technical head of the COVID-19 response at WHO’s Emergency Diseases Unit, said, “We have about 200 confirmed cases and over 100 suspected cases, but we expect those numbers to rise. It’s 20.” countries and in four WHO regions.”
The health body said the virus has been circulating for decades and has received little attention. “Sadly and there are thousands if not 1000 cases that are happening out there,” she said. “We are asking countries to increase surveillance,” she said.
According to the top World Health Organization official, most cases found in non-endemic areas are among populations of men who have sex with men, who identify as men who have sex with men, but this is necessary. Not that only those groups will be exclusive.
“So, we want to make sure we don’t stigmatize anyone related to it. It’s about raising awareness. It’s not a sexually transmitted infection. We know that monkeypox is primarily caused by physical contact, skin-to-skin contact.” spread by contact and includes sexual contact,” she said. The WHO official said monkeypox is not the same as Covid-19 and “we are not seeing that type of expansion.”
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (virus transmitted from animals to humans) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in patients with smallpox, although it is less severe clinically.
According to the WHO, monkeypox usually presents clinically with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and can lead to a variety of medical complications. Monkeypox is usually a self-limiting disease with symptoms lasting 2 to 4 weeks.
(with inputs from agencies)