Citation
Minhaj, Faisal S.; Petras, Julia K.; Brown, Jennifer A.; Mangla, Anil T.; Russo, Kelly; Willut, Christina; Lee, Michelle; Beverley, Jason; Harold, Rachel; & Milroy, Lauren, et al. (2022). Orthopoxvirus Testing Challenges for Persons in Populations at Low Risk or without Known Epidemiologic Link to Monkeypox - United States, 2022. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Week Report, 71(36), 1155-1158. PMCID: PMC9470221Abstract
Since May 2022, approximately 20,000 cases of monkeypox have been identified in the United States, part of a global outbreak occurring in approximately 90 countries and currently affecting primarily gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) (1). Monkeypox virus (MPXV) spreads from person to person through close, prolonged contact; a small number of cases have occurred in populations who are not MSM (e.g., women and children), and testing is recommended for persons who meet the suspected case definition* (1). CDC previously developed five real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for detection of orthopoxviruses from lesion specimens (2,3). CDC was granted 510(k) clearance for the nonvariola-orthopoxvirus (NVO)-specific PCR assay by the Food and Drug Administration. This assay was implemented within the Laboratory Response Network (LRN) in the early 2000s and became critical for early detection of MPXV and implementation of public health action in previous travel-associated cases as well as during the current outbreak (4-7). PCR assays (NVO and other Orthopoxvirus laboratory developed tests [LDT]) represent the primary tool for monkeypox diagnosis. These tests are highly sensitive, and cross-contamination from other MPXV specimens being processed, tested, or both alongside negative specimens can occasionally lead to false-positive results. This report describes three patients who had atypical rashes and no epidemiologic link to a monkeypox case or known risk factors; these persons received diagnoses of monkeypox based on late cycle threshold (Ct) valuesURL
http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7136e1Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2022Journal Title
MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Week ReportAuthor(s)
Minhaj, Faisal S.Petras, Julia K.
Brown, Jennifer A.
Mangla, Anil T.
Russo, Kelly
Willut, Christina
Lee, Michelle
Beverley, Jason
Harold, Rachel
Milroy, Lauren
Pope, Brian
Gould, Emily
Beeler, Cole
Schneider, Jack
Mostafa, Heba H.
Godfred-Cato, Shana
Click, Eleanor S.
Borah, Brian F.
Galang, Romeo R.
Cash-Goldwasser, Shama
Wong, Joshua M
McCormick, David W.
Yu, Patricia A.
Shelus, Victoria
Carpenter, Ann
Schatzman, Sabrina
Lowe, David
Townsend, Michael B.
Davidson, Whitni
Wynn, Nhien T.
Satheshkumar, Panayampalli S.
O'Connor, Siobhán M.
O'Laughlin, Kevin
Rao, Agam K.
McCollum, Andrea M.
Negrón, María E.
Hutson, Christina L.
Salzer, Johanna S.