A Chennai-based medical devices company Trivitron Healthcare has developed a real-time RT-PCR-based kit for the detection of the viral infection Monkeypox.

The Monkeypox Real-Time PCR Kit is a four-colour fluorescence-based kit, which can differentiate between smallpox and monkeypox in a one-tube single reaction format, the company said in a statement issued on Friday.

The test kit takes about one hour to detect the virus (if present), the statement said.

“The Research and Development team of Trivitron Healthcare has developed an RT-PCR based kit for the detection of Monkeypox virus. Trivitron's Monkeypox Real-Time PCR Kit is four colour fluorescence based kit, which can differentiate between Smallpox and Monkeypox in a one-tube single reaction format, with a total turnaround time of 1 hour,” as per the statement as reported by Times Now.

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The company further stated that both dry swabs and swabs placed in VTM (Viral Transport Media) could be used for testing.

“The WHO recommended specimen type for laboratory confirmation of Monkeypox is skin lesion material, including swabs of lesion surface and/or exudate, roofs from more than one lesion, or lesion crusts. Hence, both dry swabs and swabs placed in VTM can be used,” said the statement, cited by news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation said on Friday that the cases of Monkeypox have risen across the world, taking the total number of infections to 200 in 20 countries.

“We have about 200 confirmed cases and more than 100 suspected cases, but we expect those numbers to go up. It is across more than 20 countries and in four WHO regions” said Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead of COVID-19 response at WHO’s Emergency Diseases Unit.