Monkeypox Virus Rapid Detection Reagents: A Powerful Tool for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control

In the global public health field, the emergence of the monkeypox virus has attracted widespread attention. And monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents, as one of the key means to deal with this infectious disease, play a vital role in epidemic prevention and control.

I. Specific Applications

1. Diagnosis in Medical Institutions

• In departments such as fever clinics, dermatology departments, and infectious disease departments in hospitals, when patients show symptoms suspected of monkeypox, such as fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, doctors will first use monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents to test patients’ samples. These reagents can quickly detect whether there is monkeypox virus nucleic acid or antigen in samples such as skin vesicle fluid, pustule fluid, scabs, pharyngeal swabs, and blood scabs of patients, providing important evidence for doctors’ diagnosis. For example, for a patient who returned from a monkeypox epidemic area and then had a high fever and a whole-body rash, if the test result using the rapid detection reagent is positive, doctors can take isolation and further treatment measures in a timely manner to prevent the spread of the virus and the deterioration of the patient’s condition.
• In the management of hospitalized patients, especially in areas where there is a monkeypox epidemic outbreak, hospitals will conduct regular rapid tests on patients with relevant symptoms and their close contacts to detect potential infected persons early and avoid in-hospital transmission. This is crucial for protecting the health of other patients and medical staff, ensuring that medical institutions can maintain normal medical order during the epidemic and effectively control the spread range of the monkeypox virus.

2. On-site Screening in Epidemic Prevention and Control

• At airports, ports, border crossings and other places with a dense flow of entry and exit personnel, health quarantine departments will use monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents to conduct rapid screening on people from monkeypox epidemic areas. Once it is found that someone’s test result is positive, isolation and transfer measures can be immediately taken to prevent the virus from being introduced into other domestic areas, thus playing a key role in the first line of defense for epidemic prevention and control. For example, at an international airport where a large number of passengers from different countries and regions arrive every day, quarantine personnel use rapid detection reagents to test passengers with symptoms such as fever and rash, and have timely detected and isolated several monkeypox virus-infected people, effectively preventing the cross-border spread of the virus.
• In community epidemic prevention and control, when there are suspected monkeypox cases or clustered epidemics, primary medical and health institutions can use these reagents to conduct rapid tests on relevant personnel to quickly determine the infection range so that isolation, disinfection, epidemiological investigation and other measures can be taken in a timely manner to control the spread of the epidemic. This helps to adopt effective prevention and control measures at the early stage of the epidemic, reducing the risk of the epidemic spreading within the community and protecting the health and safety of community residents.

3. Assistance in Laboratory Research

• In virology research laboratories, when researchers study the transmission characteristics and mutation of the monkeypox virus, monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents can be used to quickly identify whether the collected samples contain the monkeypox virus, helping researchers screen out positive samples and thus accelerate the research process. For example, when studying the transmission routes of the monkeypox virus in different animal models, researchers can use rapid detection reagents to test samples such as animal tissues and body fluids to determine the infection status of the virus and provide basic data for further mechanism research.
• In the process of vaccine and drug research and development, rapid detection reagents can also be used to detect whether experimental animals or participants in clinical trials are infected with the monkeypox virus and evaluate the preventive and treatment effects of vaccines and drugs. Through the rapid detection of a large number of samples, accurate data can be obtained in a timely manner to guide the research and development direction of vaccines and drugs and improve the research and development efficiency, providing more effective means for the prevention and control of the monkeypox epidemic.

II. Characteristics

1. Rapidity

• Monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents can obtain test results in a short time, usually within about 15 to 30 minutes. Compared with traditional virus detection methods such as virus culture and serological testing, the detection time is greatly shortened. In emergency situations of epidemic prevention and control, rapid test results can enable doctors and epidemic prevention personnel to take corresponding measures in a timely manner, such as isolating patients and tracing close contacts, which plays a key role in controlling the spread speed of the epidemic. For example, in a community where a monkeypox epidemic broke out, the use of rapid detection reagents enabled the health department to complete the testing of hundreds of close contacts within one day and timely detect potential infected persons, effectively curbing the spread of the epidemic.

2. High Sensitivity and Specificity

• These reagents have high sensitivity and can detect trace amounts of monkeypox virus nucleic acid or antigen in samples. This means that even when patients are in the early stage of infection and the viral load in the body is low, there is a greater possibility of being detected. Meanwhile, they also have strong specificity and can accurately distinguish the monkeypox virus from other similar viruses, such as the smallpox virus and the varicella virus, reducing the occurrence of false positive and false negative results. This is crucial for accurately diagnosing monkeypox infection, avoiding the improper implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures due to misdiagnosis and ensuring the rational utilization of limited medical resources.

3. Convenience

• Monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents are simple to operate and do not require complicated instruments and equipment or professional technicians. Generally, only the patient’s sample needs to be collected, added to the reagent, and the result can be judged by observing the color reaction of the reagent or reading the value on the detection instrument according to the steps in the instruction manual. This convenience enables them to be widely applied in various places, including primary medical institutions, community health service centers, and customs quarantine points, improving the accessibility of detection and providing strong support for the early detection and prevention and control of the monkeypox epidemic.

4. Applicability to Multiple Samples

• They can be applied to multiple sample types, such as the aforementioned skin vesicle fluid, pustule fluid, scabs, pharyngeal swabs, and blood scabs. This provides more options for clinical testing and epidemic prevention and control. According to the specific situation of patients and the practical operation convenience, the most appropriate sample can be selected for testing. For example, for child patients, pharyngeal swab samples are relatively easy to collect, while for patients with obvious skin lesions, skin vesicle fluid or scab samples may be more accurate in detecting the virus.

III. Precautions

1. Sample Collection

• When collecting samples, it is necessary to strictly follow the operating procedures to ensure the quality and safety of the samples. For skin vesicle fluid and pustule fluid samples, sterile collection tools should be used to avoid sample contamination. When collecting pharyngeal swabs, attention should be paid to the accuracy and depth of the collection site to ensure that enough virus samples are collected. Meanwhile, the collectors should take good personal protection to prevent infection with the monkeypox virus.
• Samples should be tested in a timely manner after collection to avoid the degradation of virus nucleic acid or antigen due to long-term storage, which may affect the accuracy of test results. If they cannot be tested immediately, the samples should be properly stored under appropriate temperature and conditions. Generally, it is recommended to store them in a low-temperature environment and send them to the laboratory as soon as possible.

2. Reagent Storage and Use

• Monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents should be stored under the specified temperature conditions, usually at 2 – 8 °C, avoiding high temperature, direct sunlight, and violent vibration to ensure the stability and effectiveness of the reagents. Before use, it is necessary to check the expiration date of the reagents and whether the packaging is intact. If it is found that the reagents have deteriorated, changed color, or the packaging is damaged, they should be stopped from being used.
• Use the reagents correctly according to the requirements in the instruction manual, paying attention to the reagent dosage and reaction time. Different brands and models of reagents may have certain differences, so it is necessary to read the instruction manual carefully before use to ensure the accuracy of the operation. Meanwhile, avoid the contamination of the reagents during the detection process to affect the test results.

3. Result Judgment and Interpretation

• The judgment of test results should be cautious and strictly follow the standards in the reagent instruction manual. If there are doubts about the test results, such as weak positive or uncertain results, repeated tests or verification with other more accurate detection methods should be carried out in a timely manner. Meanwhile, it is necessary to conduct comprehensive analysis combined with the patient’s clinical symptoms and epidemiological history to avoid relying solely on the test results for diagnosis and prevent the occurrence of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.
• In epidemic prevention and control, for patients with positive test results, relevant prevention and control processes such as isolation, treatment, and epidemiological investigation should be carried out in a timely manner to ensure that the epidemic is effectively controlled. Meanwhile, it is necessary to do a good job in protecting patients’ privacy and information security to avoid unnecessary impacts on patients caused by information leakage.

Monkeypox virus rapid detection reagents, with their characteristics of rapidity, sensitivity, convenience, etc., play an important role in the prevention and control of the monkeypox epidemic. However, during the use process, it is necessary to strictly abide by the precautions to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the test results and provide strong technical support for the global prevention and control of the monkeypox epidemic.