Alternative sampling specimens for the molecular detection of mpox (formerly monkeypox) virus coppens2023alternative
Study of 25 patients with MPXV-confirmed skin lesions presenting for initial diagnostic workup at the Institute of Tropical Medicine sexual health clinic (Antwerp, Belgium). EDTA plasma, oropharyngeal swab, and saliva were collected at the same visit and tested by MPXV real-time PCR (generic primers/probe) to compare Ct values and diagnostic sensitivity across specimen types.
Analytes
plasma
Mpox virus (MPXV) DNA detection by real-time PCR on EDTA plasma. DNA extracted manually (QIAamp DNA Mini kit; 200 µL input, 100 µL elution) or automatically (Maxwell; 300 µL input, 75 µL elution) with extraction method kept identical within compared pairs; PCR with PerfeCTa FastMix II and MPXV generic primers/probe; QuantStudio 5 instrument. Reported outcome is Ct value.
Measurements only — no shedding model is fitted to this analyte, usually because it is sampled once per participant, leaving no trajectory to fit, or because nothing was ever detected. Open triangles are non-detects, drawn at the assay's censoring limit. See the modelling methods for what these estimates do and do not support.
oropharyngeal_swab
Mpox virus (MPXV) DNA detection by real-time PCR on oropharyngeal (throat) swab collected using Copan ESwab containing 1 mL Liquid Amies medium. DNA extracted manually (QIAamp DNA Mini kit; 200 µL input, 100 µL elution) or automatically (Maxwell; 300 µL input, 75 µL elution) with extraction method kept identical within compared pairs; PCR with PerfeCTa FastMix II and MPXV generic primers/probe; QuantStudio 5 instrument. Reported outcome is Ct value.
Measurements only — no shedding model is fitted to this analyte, usually because it is sampled once per participant, leaving no trajectory to fit, or because nothing was ever detected. Open triangles are non-detects, drawn at the assay's censoring limit. See the modelling methods for what these estimates do and do not support.
saliva
Mpox virus (MPXV) DNA detection by real-time PCR on saliva (>=1 mL) self-collected into an OMNIgene·ORAL collection tube containing a proprietary viral DNA stabilizing solution. DNA extracted manually (QIAamp DNA Mini kit; 200 µL input, 100 µL elution) or automatically (Maxwell; 300 µL input, 75 µL elution) with extraction method kept identical within compared pairs; PCR with PerfeCTa FastMix II and MPXV generic primers/probe; QuantStudio 5 instrument. Reported outcome is Ct value.
Measurements only — no shedding model is fitted to this analyte, usually because it is sampled once per participant, leaving no trajectory to fit, or because nothing was ever detected. Open triangles are non-detects, drawn at the assay's censoring limit. See the modelling methods for what these estimates do and do not support.