SDS/EDTA-treated chromatography paper strips for laboratory confirmation of monkeypox virus in the context of the global mpox epidemiology

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is the most important human orthopoxvirus which emerged after the global eradication of smallpox. It causes mpox, a disease characterized by a prodromal period followed by the typical maculo-papular rash. The disease was historically endemic in countries of Central and West Africa where we have observed an increasing trend in incidence for the past two decades. Importations of MPX occurred multiple times into USA, UK, Israel and Singapore, followed by the 2022 multi-country outbreak demonstrating new and evolving features, including changes in demographic, transmission type and place, clinical presentation and risk factors for severe disease.

Although our understanding of mpox improved during the 2022 multi-country outbreak, much remains unknown about the disease burden in Africa where the disease is endemic, has an animal reservoir and both clades of the virus circulate. Resource-limited settings and particularly hard to reach heavily forested areas face challenges with timely sample transportation under a guaranteed cold chain which is a pre-requisite for successful laboratory testing and accurate diagnosis. As a result, areas with endemic mpox (likely most burdened by the disease) are the ones with the least laboratory confirmation of suspected cases. This PhD project aims to investigate the effectiveness of SDS/EDTA-treated chromatography strips and its usability for mpox sample collection, transportation and diagnosis, and differentiation from other rash diseases including VZV, HSV-1/2, in the context of the global mpox epidemiology.