WHO gives green light to test to diagnose virus

A major breakthrough in the fight against mpox. The WHO has given the green light to the first in vitro diagnostic (IVD) for this virus, according to a press release from the organization published Friday, October 4. “Early diagnosis of mpox allows for rapid treatment and care, as well as control of the virus,” underlines the press release, while the disease has already killed nearly 900 people in Africa since the start of the year.

By putting it on its emergency use list, the WHO allows other UN agencies to distribute it, and assures the health authorities of affected countries of its effectiveness and therefore helps accelerate its dissemination. . “In Africa, testing capacity is limited and delays in confirming cases of mpox persist, contributing to the continued spread of the virus,” explains the World Health Organization.

Mpox, previously called monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads from animals to humans but is also transmitted between humans, causing fever, muscle pain and skin lesions. In 2024, more than 30,000 suspected cases have been reported in Africa, with the highest numbers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Nigeria.