Laboratory testing for the monkeypox virus: interim guidance, 23 May 2022
Overview
There is currently a multi-country outbreak of monkeypox in several regions of the world, the full extent and impact of which remains unclear. The overall goal of laboratory testing in this context is to enable timely and accurate confirmation of infection to support the breaking of chains of transmission, to stop the outbreak.
Any individual that meets the suspected case definition of monkeypox should be offered testing in appropriately equipped laboratories by staff trained in the relevant technical and safety procedures. Confirmation of monkeypox virus infection is based on nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), using real-time or conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for detection of unique sequences of viral DNA. PCR can be used alone, or in combination with sequencing. The recommended specimen type for laboratory confirmation of monkeypox is skin lesion material, including swabs of lesion surface and/or exudate, roofs from more than one lesion, or lesion crusts. It is recommended that all manipulations of specimens originating from suspected, probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox in the laboratory be conducted according to a risk-based approach. All test results, positive or negative, should be immediately reported to national authorities and Member States are requested to immediately notify WHO under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 of positive laboratory results, including laboratory test that awaits confirmation.
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