Quest Diagnostics Announces Nationwide Availability Of Monkeypox Virus Testing

(RTTNews) - Quest Diagnostics (DGX) announced the nationwide availability of its lab-developed molecular diagnostic test to aid in the diagnosis of infection with the monkeypox virus, with plans to launch the CDC's orthopoxvirus test in the first half of August.

The company's novel dual-target real-time polymerase chain reaction or PCR test is believed to be the first commercially available test developed and offered by a national laboratory provider to aid in the qualitative detection and differentiation of monkeypox virus (West African clade) DNA from other non-variola orthopoxviruses.

With the new automated test, Quest noted that it expects to be able to perform about 30,000 monkeypox virus tests a week by the end of July. Depending on demand, Quest could expand capacity for monkeypox testing across other advanced laboratories in its national network.

In addition, Quest is currently validating the orthopoxvirus test from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the goal to provide it as an additional test option to physicians in the first half of August.