Laboratory Diagnosis for Monkeypox: Clinical Practice and Important Points to Be Recognized

Abstract

Monkeypox is a unique variety of pox infection. WHO has already acknowledged the seriousness of the large monkeypox outbreak in 2022. The disease commonly presents as acute febrile illness with skin lesion. However, a fever or a skin lesion, however, is sometimes not detectable. Without the peculiar appearance, the physician might have missed the problem and made a false diagnosis. Basically, the clinical diagnosis is the simplest procedure and must be used by practitioners. Laboratory methods can help confirm diagnosis. The gold standard for diagnosis is the molecular-based diagnosis. There are also other available approaches such as point of care testing. In this article, we also summarize and discuss important practical points in laboratory diagnosis for monkeypox.