Africa CDC endorses first locally made mpox test from Morocco

Africa CDC endorses first locally made mpox test from Morocco.

The African Union’s health watchdog announced on Thursday that it has endorsed an mpox test from Morocco, describing it as a “major milestone” in efforts to combat the outbreak on the continent.

The announcement comes three months after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency.

In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the CDC said it has recommended what it described as the first locally produced real-time PCR test for mpox, developed in Morocco.

It explained that the test quickly detects pathogen DNA in blood, saliva, or tissue and that CDC approval highlighted 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.”

Last month, the World Health Organization approved the first diagnostic test for mpox, called the Alinity m MPXV assay.

Manufactured by Abbott Molecular Inc., the test enables the detection of the mpox virus from swabs taken from human lesions.

Since the start of the year, authorities have recorded more than 50,000 mpox cases and around 1,100 deaths across Africa. Central Africa accounts for over 85 per cent of cases and nearly all deaths.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals but can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.

It causes fever, muscle aches, and large boil-like skin lesions, and can be deadly.

In mid-August, both the Africa CDC and the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency.

AFP