The CDC in Africa Supports Morocco’s Mpox Test
A major step forward in Africa’s response to the continuing outbreak was taken Thursday when the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) revealed that it has endorsed Morocco’s locally created mpox test. A “major milestone” for African public health systems, the new real-time PCR test can identify mpox pathogen DNA in tissue, saliva, and blood samples, improving the continent’s capacity to address new health risks.
The Africa CDC announced the approval on X (previously Twitter), highlighting the validity and effectiveness of Morocco’s mpox test. The support is in line with the African Union’s overarching goal of enhancing public health self-sufficiency in order to anticipate and effectively address disease threats.
This development follows three months ago when the Africa CDC declared the mpox outbreak to be a public health emergency. Previously known as monkeypox, mpox is a disease that infects animals and people by intimate personal contact. Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, and characteristic skin lesions.
Alongside the CDC’s work, Abbott Molecular Inc.’s Alinity m MPXV assay, the first mpox diagnostic test, was approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) last month. This diagnostic tool provides an additional means of monitoring and managing the virus by identifying mpox from swab samples.
Approximately 1,100 people have died and over 50,000 instances of mpox have been reported throughout Africa this year, with Central Africa experiencing the highest number of cases and fatalities.
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