India's First Indigenous Monkeypox RT-PCR Testing Kit Launched

India launched its first monkeypox RT-PCR testing kit on Friday, 19 August.

China recorded the first case of Monkey B virus (BV) after a 53-year-old Beijing-based veterinarian was infected.

(Photo: iStock)

India's first indigenously-developed RT-PCR testing kit for monkeypox made by Erba-Transasia was launched on Friday, 19 August, at the Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone, PTI reported.

This comes even as the global monkeypox caseload crossed 35,000 from over 90 countries. The majority of cases have been reported from Europe and the Americas, WHO said.

“Almost 7,500 cases were reported last week, a 20 percent increase over the previous week, which was also 20 percent more than the week before.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO

India has reported nine cases of monkeypox so far.

At present, countries have turned to using repurposed smallpox vaccines to treat monkeypox. However, the WHO has also said that global supplies of Monkeypox vaccines are limited, as is data about their effectiveness.

India's first indigenous monkeypox test kit was developed by Transasia Bio-Medicals in a tie-up with Erba Mannheim. The kit was unveiled by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Centre Ajay Kumar Sood.

The Transasia-Erba monkeypox RT-PCR kit is highly sensitive, but an easy-to-use test with uniquely formulated primer and probe for enhanced accuracy.

"The kit will help in early detection and better management of the monkeypox virus, which has been declared a global health emergency by the WHO."

Suresh Vazirani, Founder-chairman, Transasia

The monkeypox virus was largely endemic to West and Central Africa till 2022. In early 2022, cases of monkeypox began appearing in countries with no history of the disease, as well as in people with no travel history to these parts.