Sat Nov 16 15:50:00 UTC 2024: ## New Rapid Monkeypox Test Offers Hope Amidst Global Outbreak
**San Diego/Boston, November 16, 2024** – A new, rapid diagnostic test for monkeypox (mpox) offers a potential game-changer in the fight against the ongoing global outbreak. Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Boston University have developed an optical biosensor capable of detecting the virus in just two minutes. This breakthrough comes as a deadly mpox variant, responsible for approximately 5% of mpox-related deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2023, continues to spread internationally. A separate, less lethal variant has already affected over 100 countries since 2022.
Current diagnostic methods, such as PCR tests, are expensive, time-consuming, and require specialized laboratory settings. The new biosensor, described in a study published November 14th in *Biosensors and Bioelectronics*, provides a point-of-care solution. Using monoclonal antibodies and a silicon chip-based system, the sensor detects the virus by analyzing the interaction of light with virus-antibody complexes. The system easily distinguishes mpox from other viruses with high sensitivity.
The development is particularly crucial given the difficulty in clinically distinguishing mpox from other viral infections based solely on symptoms. The rapid, affordable nature of this new test could significantly improve early detection, isolation, and treatment, potentially curbing the spread of this concerning virus and bolstering preparedness for future outbreaks.
First Piper 