Oral, nasal samples critical for monkeypox diagnosis, finds study

 

Oral and nasal swabs are important for the diagnosis of monkeypox disease. A study in India has revealed that oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) and nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) are critical for the diagnosis of monkeypoxdisease in those who have no active skin lesions.

The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR) – NIV pre-print study also revealed that urine specimens should also be considered critical specimens for diagnosing monkeypox disease. The study said, “The OPS/NPS specimen and possibly urine specimens should be considered as the critical specimens for MPXV diagnosis in cases with no active skin lesions.”

The study was approved by the Institutional Human Ethics Committee of ICMR-NIV, Pune, India. The study also mentioned the first fatal case of Monkeypox reported from India. The first fatal case of the monkeypox virus in India was reported in July 2022. According to researchers, a 22-year-old, apparently immunocompetent male with no past medical history, was admitted to a private hospital in Kerala in an unconscious state. The researchers said that the case highlighted the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion to diagnose the monkeypox disease. His report suggested encephalitis while swabs were found to be positive for monkeypox virus.

According to the study, the patient developed a fever and headache in July in the UAE. He went on to a hospital in the UAE for treatment. He was partially relieved of headache and fever. Subsequently, he returned to Kerala. However, he continued to have fatigue and low-grade fever which was not associated with persistent headache. Just before the death of the patient, his family members obtained a test result from the UAE that showed that he had tested positive for monkeypox in UAE on July 19.

India has so far registered 11 cases of the monkeypox virus in New Delhi and Kerala