The African Union’s health monitoring body revealed on Thursday that it has approved an mpox test from Morocco, calling it a “significant achievement” in the ongoing battle against the outbreak across Africa.
This announcement follows three months since the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the CDC confirmed its endorsement of what it described as the first locally produced real-time PCR test for mpox, developed in Morocco.
It stated that the test rapidly identifies pathogen DNA in blood, saliva, or tissue, and that its approval by the CDC emphasized 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.”
In the previous month, the World Health Organization authorized the Alinity m MPXV assay as the first diagnostic test for mpox.
Developed by Abbott Molecular Inc., this test allows for the identification of the mpox virus in samples collected from human lesions.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 50,000 cases of mpox and approximately 1,100 fatalities have been reported across Africa. Central Africa is responsible for over 85 percent of the cases and nearly all of the deaths.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection primarily spread to humans from infected animals, though it can also be transmitted between people through close contact.
The disease leads to symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and large, boil-like skin sores, and it can be fatal.
In mid-August, both the Africa CDC and the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency.
