Human monkeypox virus: detection methods and perspectives for diagnostics

The recent outbreak of the zoonotic human caused by the monkeypox virus, in several non-endemic territories, raised concerns about the emergence of a new pandemic. Still concerned about the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemics, people have been gathering efforts to control the spread of the monkeypox virus. Human Monkeypox is a disease characterized mainly by the skin lesions caused, it is considered an endemic and neglected African disease that has caused several deaths throughout history. However, recently it was detected in more than 28 non-endemic countries, including the United States and European countries. Furthermore, there is still a lack of data on the extent of infection in asymptomatic people, making it a public health problem. In this aspect, rapid and large-scale testing followed by the isolation of infected individuals is one of the most effective ways of prevention known, as the monkeypox vaccine is not widely available. Thus, this review article presents an overview of recent outbreaks of monkeypox, and the detection methods currently available for the control of this disease. Also, we addressed the potential application of modern methods, which are highly attractive and effective alternatives for aiding in monkeypox diagnosis. Furthermore, we discuss the perspective of using diagnosis in regions of difficult access and poor infrastructure to public health and the control of a highly dangerous virus.