Anorectal Testing for Mpox Virus Infection in Men Who Have Sex With Men With and Without Proctitis

Eric A Meyerowitz; Inessa Gendlina; Vimi J Desai; Robert Grossberg; Singh R Nair; Beendu Pujar; Paul F Riska; Heather B Root; Justin Toro; Julian A Torres; Liise-Anne Pirofski; Barry S Zingman

doi:10.1093/cid/ciac825

Anorectal Testing for Mpox Virus Infection in Men Who Have Sex With Men With and Without Proctitis

Clin Infect Dis. 2023 Mar 4;76(5):934-937. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac825.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
² Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.

PMID: 36227656
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciac825

Abstract

We performed anorectal testing in 18 cis-gender men who have sex with men with symptoms consistent with mpox virus (MPXV) infection. We found rectal MPXV DNA in 9/9 with and 7/9 without proctitis. Future study of anorectal testing is needed and may inform the diagnosis and pathogenesis of MPXV disease.

Keywords: anorectal swab; men who have sex with men; mpox virus infection; proctitis.

MeSH terms

Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Monkeypox virus / genetics
Mpox, Monkeypox*
Proctitis* / diagnosis
Sexual and Gender Minorities*