Kenya to access advanced tools for Mpox testing from World Health Organisation

Tuesday, November 5, 2024 - The Ministry of Health now has additional tools for testing mpox, which has claimed the life of one Kenyan.

This is after the World Health Organisation listed two additional mpox in vitro diagnostic tools under its Emergency Use Listing procedure.

Kenya has confirmed 13 cases of mpox, and its first death from the disease.

The cases are spread across Nakuru (two), Kajiado (two), Bungoma (two), Taita Taveta (one), Busia (one), Nairobi (one), Mombasa (one), Makueni (one) and Kericho (one).

WHO listed the Xpert mpox, a real-time PCR test manufactured by Cepheid under its EUL procedure, on 25 October.

This test is designed for use on compatible GeneXpert systems.

The Xpert Mpox test is easy to perform and delivers results in under 40 minutes.

Once the cartridge is placed in the system, the process is fully automated, with real-time PCR detecting viral DNA of monkeypox virus clade II.

The GeneXpert system is a near-point-of-care testing option, which can support decentralized testing.

Another PCR-based option, the cobas MPXV assay, developed by Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., was listed on 14 October.

It is intended for use on the cobas 6800/8800 Systems.

This tool is a real-time PCR test capable of detecting Mpox clades and delivering results in two hours.

It can process multiple samples simultaneously and is suitable for clinical laboratories that handle large volumes of tests.

The Kenyan DAILY POST