Retrospective analysis of monkeypox infection

Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Apr;14(4):592-9. doi: 10.3201/eid1404.071044.

Abstract

Serologic cross-reactivity between orthopoxviruses is a substantial barrier to laboratory diagnosis of specific orthopoxvirus infections and epidemiologic characterization of disease outbreaks. Historically, time-consuming and labor-intensive strategies such as cross-adsorbed neutralization assays, immunofluorescence assays, and hemagglutination-inhibition assays have been used to identify orthopoxvirus infections. We used cross-adsorption to develop a simple and quantitative postadsorption ELISA for distinguishing between monkeypox and vaccinia infections. Despite the difficulty of diagnosing clinically inapparent monkeypox in previously vaccinated persons, this technique exhibited 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity for identifying clinically overt monkeypox infection irrespective of vaccination history. We also describe a Western blot technique in which up to 3 diagnostic bands may be used to distinguish between vaccinia and monkeypox infection. The techniques described provide independent diagnostic tests suitable for retrospective analysis of monkeypox outbreaks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Blotting, Western*
  • Cell Line
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay*
  • Humans
  • Monkeypox virus / immunology*
  • Mpox, Monkeypox / diagnosis
  • Mpox, Monkeypox / epidemiology*
  • Mpox, Monkeypox / immunology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Wisconsin / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral