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Geneva, Switzerland:
The United Nations health agency announced Friday that it has approved the use of the first diagnostic test for mpox, a key tool in countries battling the epidemic.
More than 800 people have died from mpox across Africa, and the disease has been officially detected in 16 countries, according to the African Union Center for Disease Control.
The World Health Organization said in a statement that the test’s “emergency use authorization” will “help expand diagnostic capacity in countries facing mpox outbreaks and where the need for rapid and accurate testing is rapidly increasing. It will be extremely important.”
The test, called the Alinity m MPXV assay, is manufactured by Abbott Molecular Inc. and can detect mpox viruses in swabs taken from human lesions.
“Detecting DNA from samples of pustular or bullous rashes allows laboratories and health care workers to efficiently and effectively confirm suspected cases of mpox,” WHO said.
“Africa continues to have limited testing capacity and delays in identifying mpox cases, contributing to the continued spread of the virus,” the report said.
The statement quoted WHO Assistant Director-General Yukiko Nakatani as saying that the approval of the test “is an important milestone in expanding the availability of testing in affected countries.”
“Increasing access to quality-assured medical products is central to our efforts to help countries stop the spread of the virus and protect people, especially in underserved areas,” said Nakatani. said.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus that is transmitted from infected animals to humans, but can also be transmitted from human to human through close physical contact.
It causes fever, muscle pain, large boil-like skin lesions, and can be fatal.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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