AmpFire Monkeypox Assay

The AmpFire Monkeypox Assay is an isothermal nucleic acid amplification assay that can specifically detect the monkeypox viral DNA from either vesicular or pustular tissue and fluid or roof of lesion or scabs.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.

Monkeypox virus is an enveloped double‐stranded DNA virus with a genome size of around 190 kb. It belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. There are two clades of monkeypox virus: the West African clade and the Congo Basin (Central African) clade. The West African clade of monkeypox virus infection—which has a lower case fatality ratio (roughly 1%) than the Congo Basin clade (up to 10%)—can lead to severe illness in some individuals.

Symptoms of monkeypox can include: fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus. The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.