The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced on Thursday, the endorsement of a locally developed mpox test from Morocco, calling it a significant step in the continent’s efforts to address the ongoing outbreak.
This development comes three months after the Africa CDC declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency.
In a statement shared on X, the Africa CDC confirmed its approval of the first real-time PCR test for mpox, designed and produced in Morocco.
The test, which detects the DNA of the mpox virus in blood, saliva, or tissue samples, has been praised for its “reliability and efficacy.”
“This major milestone aligns with the African Union’s continental initiative to strengthen the self-sufficiency of African public health systems, enhancing the continent’s capacity for disease preparedness and response,” the CDC statement read.
The approval follows the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent endorsement of the first diagnostic test for mpox, the Alinity m MPXV assay, developed by Abbott Molecular Inc.
This test, which detects the virus from human lesion swabs, has been recognized for its effectiveness in identifying mpox.
Since the beginning of the year, Africa has reported over 50,000 mpox cases and approximately 1,100 deaths, with Central Africa accounting for more than 85% of cases and nearly all fatalities.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease typically transmitted from animals to humans, but it can also spread between humans through close physical contact.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and painful, boil-like skin lesions, and the disease can be fatal.
Both the Africa CDC and the WHO declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency in mid-August, highlighting the urgent need for expanded diagnostic capabilities and robust responses across the continent.
AFP
