Africa CDC endorses first locally made Mpox test

 African Union's health watchdog endorses an mpox test from Morocco. [Getty Images]

The African Union's health watchdog said Thursday it has endorsed an mpox test from Morocco, hailing it as a "major milestone" to help 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.

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

It said the test quickly detects pathogen DNA in blood, saliva or tissue, and that the CDC approval underscored its "reliability and efficacy".

"This major milestone is in line with the African Union's continental effort to strengthen the self-sufficiency of African public health systems towards enhancing the continent's efficiency in preparedness and response to disease threats."

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

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

Since the start of the year, authorities have recorded more than 50,00 mpox cases and around 1,100 deaths across Africa.

Central Africa accounts for more than 85 percent of cases and almost 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, muscular 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.