BURLINGTON – North Carolina-based Labcorp is responding to the growing number of monkeypox cases by launching a test to detect the virus.
It’s the first national lab to do so, says Labcorp, in an announcement made early Wednesday.
The news comes as the number of cases is growing in the U.S. and the Centers for Disease Control is stepping up efforts to increase public awareness.
“CDC is urging healthcare providers in the U.S. to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox, regardless of whether they have travel or specific risk factors for monkeypox and regardless of gender or sexual orientation,” the CDC says.
“It’s not clear how the people were exposed to monkeypox, but early data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases. However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.,” the CDC adds at its website.
Two monkeypox cases have been reported in North Carolina as of July 5, according to the CDC. Some 560 cases have been reported nationally. Around the world the case count tops 6,000, the CDC says.
The CDC warns that anyone “with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider, even if they don’t think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox.”
Monkeypox facts from the CDC
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder; and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
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.
Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.
Examples of Monkeypox Rashes
Photo Credit: NHS England High Consequence Infectious Diseases Network
Labcorp “will begin testing for monkeypox using the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) orthopoxvirus test, which detects all non-smallpox related orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox,” the Burlington-based company announced.
The test has been “verified for the CDC,” Labcorp added.
“Labcorp appreciates the opportunity to support the CDC in its efforts to keep the public safe and manage the monkeypox outbreak,” said Dr. Brian Caveney, chief medical officer and President of Labcorp Diagnostics. “We will initially perform all monkeypox testing in our main North Carolina lab and have the capacity to expand to other locations nationwide should the need arise.”
The company said people should initiaite the test process by going to healthcare providers which “can order the orthopoxvirus test from Labcorp just as they normally would order other tests.”
CDC guidance is that anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their health care provider, even if they don’t think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox.
Health care providers can access information on Labcorp’s test at www.labcorp.com/monkeypox. The latest CDC information on monkeypox is available at www.cdc.gov/monkeypox.
