• Limited testing capacity and delays in confirming mpox cases continue to hinder efforts in Africa, allowing the virus to spread further. 

• In 2024, over 30,000 suspected cases were reported across the continent, with the highest numbers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Nigeria. 

• Notably, only 37% of suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been tested this year.

• The presence of the monkeypox virus is confirmed through nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), including real-time or conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as outlined in the WHO's Interim Guidance on diagnostic testing for mpox. 

• The lesion material is the recommended specimen type for confirming monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection through NAAT.

• The Alinity m MPXV assay is a real-time PCR test that detects monkeypox virus (clade I/II) DNA in human skin lesion swabs.

• By detecting DNA from pustular or vesicular rash samples, laboratory and health workers can confirm suspected mpox cases efficiently and effectively.

• This first mpox diagnostic test listed under the Emergency Use Listing procedure represents a significant milestone in expanding testing availability in affected countries.

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