Washington: To expedite the diagnosis of suspected infections for the virus that has already infected at least 142 people in the US, the Biden administration has begun shipping monkeypox tests to commercial laboratories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending the test to laboratories including Aegis Science, LabCorp, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics and Sonic Healthcare, which it says will significantly expand the nation’s health system’s capacity to test for monkeypox. Previously, testing has largely been confined to public health laboratories, which have a combined capacity of about 8,000 tests per week.
“All Americans should be concerned about cases of monkeypox,” Health and Human Services Secretary Javier Becerra said in a statement. “Thankfully we have the tools to fight and treat cases in the US right now. By dramatically expanding the number of testing locations across the country, we are making it possible for anyone who is tested to do so. are making.”
The disease first causes flu-like symptoms before progressing to a rash on the face and body and is commonly found in parts of Central and West Africa. But this year, 1,880 infections have been reported in more than 30 countries, where monkeypox usually do not get.
Most of these cases have been found in Europe. As of June 21, the CDC has confirmed 142 monkeypox infections in the US. Monkeypox comes from the same family of viruses as smallpox. Most people recover from monkeypox within weeks, but according to the World Health Organization, the disease is fatal to 1 in 10 people.