Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Sonic Healthcare USA (Sonic) began testing for Monkeypox (MPXV), using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Non-variola Orthopoxvirus, high complexity NAAT (RT-PCR) molecular assay. The test is performed at Sonic Reference Laboratory in Austin, TX, and is available for providers to order through all Sonic clinical laboratories located across the United States.
"Being a medically-led organization, Sonic Healthcare USA is uniquely equipped to respond quickly and in close coordination with the CDC to these types of disease outbreaks," said Jerry Hussong, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Sonic Healthcare USA.
Sonic Healthcare USA's Medical and Scientific leaders will continue to monitor the U.S. Monkeypox outbreak and expand testing access. According to the CDC, there are currently over 1000 cases confirmed in the United States. The CDC recommends that healthcare providers be alert for patients with a rash consistent with Monkeypox regardless of risk factors previously associated with the virus.
Monkeypox is a rare disease not known to cause widespread infection outside Central and West Africa. Symptoms include a characteristic rash, which may be confused with common skin infections, such as varicella (chickenpox/shingles), herpes simplex virus, and syphilis.
