Global Virus Network accelerates mpox diagnostic research

With global attention shifting away from mpox after recent declines in case counts, the Global Virus Network (GVN) is warning against complacency and urges accelerating efforts to strengthen outbreak readiness. Through its Mpox Action Committee and Centers of Excellence, GVN has initiated one of the first coordinated, multi-country evaluations of rapid point-of-care mpox diagnostics, a critical step to prevent resurgence and ensure the world is better prepared for future epidemics.

Despite recent improvements, health experts caution that gaps in surveillance and diagnostics leave communities vulnerable to new flare-ups. In regions where mpox has persisted, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries, the absence of validated, widely accessible rapid tests continues to undermine timely response.

Globally, the ongoing outbreak of clade IIb mpox, driven by the subclade IIb, has caused more than 100,000 cases in 122 countries, including 115 countries where mpox had not previously been reported.

"Declining numbers should not lull us into a false sense of security," said Robert C. Gallo, MD, co-founder & international scientific director of the GVN. "When surveillance wanes, resurgence follows. This coordinated study compares mpox diagnostics across multiple countries using a common approach, and it will help set the standard for outbreak preparedness worldwide." Dr. Gallo is also the James P. Cullison Professor of Medicine, director of the Institute of Translational Virology and Innovation at the University of South Florida, and director of the Microbial Oncology Program at Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute.

GVN's coordinated effort spans four countries and includes leading scientists from Emory University (USA), the University of St Andrews (UK), the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, and the University of Health Sciences Otukpo (Nigeria). Teams are comparing rapid diagnostic kits against gold-standard PCR assays, testing their performance on real clinical samples, and analyzing operational feasibility in resource-limited settings.

"The absence of validated, widely accessible point-of-care diagnostics has created a dangerous blind spot in mpox outbreak response," added Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of the GVN and dean of the University of South Florida College of Public Health. "Our Nigeria-Scotland GVN global team is building the evidence base that will guide which tools frontline health workers can rely on the next time mpox, or another virus, threatens public health."

The study represents a rare, coordinated validation of mpox diagnostics across diverse African sites under both laboratory and field conditions. Findings will be consolidated into a global comparative analysis and policy brief to guide governments, funders, and public health agencies in deploying the most effective rapid tests.

Wilber Sabiiti, PhD, principal research fellow in medicine at the University of St Andrews, spearheads efforts in the DRC and Uganda, validating rapid antigen tests in Kampala metropolitan, Uganda, and South Kivu, DRC, in collaboration with Makerere University and the Catholic University of Bukavu.

"We're focused not just on how well the kits work, but on whether they're practical for real-world use in resource-constrained settings," said Dr. Sabiiti. "That's the only way to make diagnostics scalable and impactful."

In Nigeria, Sophia Osawe, MPH, PhD, head of department research operations and senior research manager at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, a GVN Center of Excellence, is leveraging her team's biorepository of mpox samples to compare diagnostic kits under ISO-accredited lab conditions.

"Our goal is to generate the evidence needed to make informed decisions about which tests can be deployed quickly and reliably," said Dr. Osawe. "The stakes are high as delayed diagnosis means delayed care and unchecked transmission."

Boghuma Titanji, MD, MSc, DTM&H, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Emory School of Medicine, a GVN Center of Excellence, uses clinical specimens from the U.S. outbreak to test new rapid assays under (biological safety level) BSL-3 containment conditions to evaluate test sensitivity and operational performance.

"We're applying rigorous virology to assess these tools, but also considering operational ease," said Dr. Boghuma. "A test that works in the lab but fails in the field doesn't help the people who need it most."

Meanwhile, in Otukpo, Nigeria, Joseph Anejo Okopi, MBA, MSc, PhD, professor of infectious diseases and a former fellow in the GVN Rising Star Mentorship Program, is leading a study at the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo to assess how well rapid tests perform across different specimen types and how feasible they are for deployment in rural settings.

"Our research will assess test accuracy and whether community health workers can use them effectively in real-world conditions," Dr. Okopi said. "This is vital for reaching remote populations often first impacted by outbreaks."

As each site shares findings with the GVN, the network will develop a comparative manuscript and policy brief to guide the deployment of the most effective mpox POC diagnostics across Africa and globally.

"This is science in action, led by African and global experts working together to outpace the virus," said Dr. Vermund. "With better diagnostics, we gain the upper hand."