Oral, Nasal samples critical for Monkeypox diagnosis, finds ICMR study

The OPS/NPS specimen as well as possibly urine specimens should be considered as critical specimens for Monkeypox diagnosis in cases with no active skin lesions, according to a study.

By Shalini Bhardwaj The OPS/NPS specimen as well as possibly urine specimens should be considered as critical specimens for Monkeypox diagnosis in cases with no active skin lesions, according to a study.

The ICMR - NIV pre-print study based on laboratory investigations of the Monkeypox death from Kerala has confirmed the death was due to Monkeypox. The study has also mentioned that it was the first fatal case of Monkeypox reported from India and Oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) and Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) should also be considered in diagnoses of Monkeypox.

"This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion to diagnose MPXV in those presenting with atypical manifestations, exanthematous fever with epidemiological linkage from MPXV endemic or outbreak countries. In conclusion, the overall findings of the case and the history confirm that the case to be infected with MPXV," read the findings of the study. The study has also mentioned that other samples like Oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) and Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) should also be considered in diagnoses of Monkeypox when there are no active skin lesions, "The OPS/NPS specimen as well as 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 under the project 'Providing diagnostic support for referred samples of viral haemorrhagic fever and other unknown aetiology and outbreak investigation'. Till now, India has reported eleven confirmed cases of monkeypox from Kerala and New Delhi during July-September 2022. Nine cases have shown complete recovery without any sequelae, one case is still under isolation, while another case had succumbed to the disease. All the confirmed five cases from Kerala were travellers from United Arab Emirates (UAE). (ANI)

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