In May 2022, an outbreak of Mpox samples were declared a global public health emergency. A study conducted in Sweden on 104 patients compared the cycle thresholds of Mpox in skin lesions with other parts of the body and over time from the onset of clinical signs. The study found that the cycle thresholds varied depending on the anatomical site. Two early cases of Mpox were detected from anorectal swab specimens after skin samples tested negative, indicating the need to sample multiple sites. The study also found that viral levels peaked in skin lesions 6-10 days after the onset of signs and that samples may test negative in the early stages of the disease. Complementary anorectal sampling or repeated skin lesion testing may increase detection rates in these cases. The study had national coverage but needs to be confirmed in other settings due to variations in sampling and extraction methods, as well as missing clinical data.

Read more: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/29/6/23-0253_article