Enzo to begin monkeypox testing service

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Enzo Biochem, with clinical labs in Farmingdale, is launching a monkeypox testing service this week.

Under this effort, the Enzo’s clinical lab is accepting tests from physicians and urgent cares. Enzo aims to develop its proprietary test so that it is available over the next two to three months.

Enzo’s announcement comes at a time when monkeypox is spreading globally. Already, monkeypox has infected more than 30,000 people across the world, experts say.

Considered a rare, contagious and infectious viral disease, monkeypox spreads by person-to-person transmission through skin-to-skin contact, fomites, contact with body fluids, or lesion materials, experts say. And the disease can lead to serious health consequences.

“Enzo’s clinical labs understands and supports the public health issues posed by monkeypox,” Hamid Erfanian, Enzo’s CEO, said in a statement.

“We are at the forefront of responding to the urgent need for this test, given the rapid increase in incidence of monkeypox throughout the U.S. population and globally,” he added. “We remain committed to working with our industry partners to address this emerging challenge and make testing more accessible in our communities.”

The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, the pathogen that causes smallpox.

An estimated 9,500 cases of monkeypox have been diagnosed in the U.S., and experts say there may be many more cases that are likely unreported.

Enzo is building on its experience in processing specimens for the detection of viral pathogens.

The company is working in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Enzo aims to “to address issues with regards to broadening collection methods, accelerating test turnaround times, and providing improved analytical sensitivity,” the company said in a press release.

 



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Image and article originally from libn.com. Read the original article here.