The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus that is related to variola virus, which causes smallpox. Monkeypox virus causes relatively rare infections in humans. Earlier this year, countries that don’t normally see monkeypox cases, including the United States, began to experience outbreaks. On August 4, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) declared a public health emergency as a result of the ongoing outbreak of monkeypox.
VCTR utilizes a real-time PCR test to detect the DNA of orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox. It is based on the CDC assay but has been optimized for state-of-the-art instrumentation and an automated specimen extraction process. These optimizations will allow for reduced turnaround times and increased capability to upscale testing capacity.