Monkeypox testing needs to be expanded to catch disease before it can cause more damage - WHO

Jonathan Parducho, a pharmacist, holds a dose of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox in the vaccine hub at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Friday, July 29, 2022, in San Francisco. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

The World Health Organization (WHO) says we have to work together to make self-testing possible for suspected monkeypox cases.

Serious cases of the disease have reached over 22,000 worldwide with WHO declaring it a global health emergency last month.

Governors in California, New York and Illinois have made similar proclamations on the disease while India recently declared it's first death from the illness.

Andrew Seale from WHO says testing needs to be expanded to catch the disease before it can cause more damage.

"We really do need to focus more - and I know there are teams already set up to do this - on improving testing. At the moment, the focus really is on swabbing lesions," said Mr Seale.

"Because of these new presentations that we are seeing, we need to find more efficient ways. Ultimately, self-testing would be fantastic."

There have been calls to focus the majority of resources to fight monkeypox towards the LGBTQIA+ community as the disease has mainly been discovered in men who have sex with men.

However, there has been criticism that the public health advice risks stigmatising marginalised groups.

Mr Seale, WHO expert on HIV, Hepatitis and STDs, said that while anyone can catch monkeypox, it makes sense to target those most at risk.

"It would be absolutely homophobic if we weren't to target the resources where we are seeing the infections. We have to be doing more of that.

"This is because the communities, obviously they want to protect themselves and their loved ones, but they don't just interact within those communities.

"People interact with broader communities so there is an interest in making sure that those they live and work and socialise with are also protected."

The monkeypox virus spreads through prolonged and close skin-to-skin contact, which can include hugging, cuddling and kissing, as well as through the sharing of bedding, towels and clothing.