Near East University announced that the diagnostic kit that can quickly detect the “monkeypox” disease, which the World Health Organization declared a “global emergency”, is ready for use.

The World Health Organization declared the “Mpox” virus, which started spreading in Africa, as a “global emergency” with its statement on August 14. The virus, which causes the disease commonly known as “Monkeypox”, has become a global source of concern, especially due to the occurrence and spread of cases outside of Africa. Following the increase in the number of cases in 2022, DESAM Research Institute Kit Production and Genome Analysis Laboratory researchers, who started developing a kit to detect the virus, completed their studies and developed the “REAL MonkeyPox RT-qPCR Diagnostic Kit” last year.

Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ, “We are ready to put our diagnostic kit, which can detect the Mpox virus that causes monkeypox, into use in a few hours, if needed.”

Monkeypox, which manifests itself with headache, fever, swelling in the lymph nodes, muscle pain, weakness, rashes and lesions on the skin, spreads through close contact with people and animals infected with the virus. Thus, the most important way to prevent the spread of the virus is to detect it at an early stage and isolate infected people. The fact that the “REAL MonkeyPox RT-qPCR Diagnostic Kit” developed by Near East University can detect the disease within a few hours is also of great importance in this respect.

Emphasizing that rapid diagnosis is the most important factor in reducing the transmission rate of diseases spread by contact, Near East University Rector Prof. Dr. Tamer Şanlıdağ said, “The diagnostic kit we developed can detect the disease within a few hours. Thus, it offers both public institutions and healthcare professionals the opportunity to quickly isolate infected people and start treatment.”

Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ, who is also a medical microbiologist, said, “We are ready to put our diagnostic kit, which can detect the Mpox virus that causes monkeypox disease, into use in case of need.”

Reminding that Near East University researchers gained significant experience in this field with the TRNC’s domestic PCR Diagnostic and Variant Analysis Kit developed during the COVID-19 process, Prof. Dr. Şanlıdağ said, “With its equipment and qualified researchers, our DESAM Research Institute Kit Production and Genome Analysis Laboratory has developed many diagnostic kits, some of which are the first in the world, for viruses that can cause epidemics after SARS-CoV-2. The PCR Diagnostic Kits we developed for the detection of viruses such as Dengue Fever, Chikungunya Virus, Monkeypox, Hepatitis Delta Virus, FIP Virus and most recently West Nile Virus are extremely important not only for our country but also for the whole world.”