Mpox diagnostics: a swift and integrated approach to outbreak control
Chuan Kok Lim
A B * , Shivani Pasricha A B C and Soo Jen Low A B
A
B
C
Dr Chuan Kok Lim is a medical virologist at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) and senior research fellow at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. His research focuses on advancing pandemic preparedness through novel diagnostic development and genomic characterisation of emerging viral pathogens including orthopoxvirus and flavivirus. |
Dr Shivani Pasricha is a microbiologist and laboratory head in the Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne. Using molecular and genomic approaches, her research aims to improve the detection, prevention and surveillance of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Her current research includes developing cutting-edge CRISPR-diagnostics for the point-of-care detection of STIs and antimicrobial resistance. |
Dr Soo Jen Low is a research officer and bioinformatician at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Her research focuses on the application of genomics and development of bioinformatic pipelines to support innovative diagnostic approaches. |
Abstract
The unprecedented global spread of monkeypox (mpox) through physical and sexual transmission revealed significant gaps in diagnostics and sexually transmitted infection (STI) outbreak preparation. An early understanding of viral infectivity and shedding dynamics is critical in informing testing strategies. Capability for viral culture in high-containment laboratories allows rapid dissemination of control materials and evaluation of high-throughput assays, in preparation for testing upscaling. Early genomic characterisation in local clusters informs suitable public health applications and limitations. Monkeypox virus (MPXV) genomics can provide global contextualisation and assist in determining disease importation. As mpox outbreak control strategies evolve towards preventing importation, investment in point-of-care rapid diagnostics such as CRISPR-based lateral flow assays is critical for an agile STI disease-control response.
Keywords: clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, CRISPR, mpox, monkeypox virus, MPXV, PoCT, point-of-care test, rapid diagnostics, recombinase polymerase amplification, RPA, sexually transmitted infections, STI.
Dr Chuan Kok Lim is a medical virologist at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) and senior research fellow at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. His research focuses on advancing pandemic preparedness through novel diagnostic development and genomic characterisation of emerging viral pathogens including orthopoxvirus and flavivirus. |
Dr Shivani Pasricha is a microbiologist and laboratory head in the Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne. Using molecular and genomic approaches, her research aims to improve the detection, prevention and surveillance of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Her current research includes developing cutting-edge CRISPR-diagnostics for the point-of-care detection of STIs and antimicrobial resistance. |
Dr Soo Jen Low is a research officer and bioinformatician at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Her research focuses on the application of genomics and development of bioinformatic pipelines to support innovative diagnostic approaches. |
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