THE
MPOX
OUTBREAK

Rapidly responding to the mpox health emergency

Overview of the Emergency

Recently, mpox was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by WHO and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) by Africa CDC.

The spread of mpox poses a significant threat to global health and, with cases reported across multiple regions, timely and accurate surveillance is paramount. Effective virus surveillance is a cornerstone of global and domestic response efforts. By detecting the monkeypox virus in wastewater and other sources before it manifests clinically, public health authorities can act swiftly to contain outbreaks, strengthen national surveillance, and develop proactive response plans. This approach is crucial in mitigating the impact of mpox and safeguarding global public health.

Supporting Your Mpox Response

Ginkgo Biosecurity has rapidly developed a PCR assay for the detection & differentiation of mpox clade I and II, sequencing protocols for further characterization, and deployment plans to swiftly enable laboratories with the capabilities to detect mpox via wastewater.

PCR assay for detection and differentiation of mpox clade I and II

Ginkgo’s novel PCR assay addresses a design weakness in off-the-shelf assays by redesigning validated qPCR and dPCR assays, capturing both the reference genome and the Kamituga sub-lineage. The Ginkgo assay is readily available to be shipped to qualifying labs.

Ginkgo-developed sequencing protocols

Ginkgo’s validated sequencing protocols utilize ONT or Illumina platforms, customized for wastewater to ensure mpox characterization.

Lab enablement & deployment

Deployment of testing protocols and lab validation activities is based on the lab’s PCR equipment. This includes hand-in-hand staff training, enablement support, and data review to ensure quality and compliance with Ginkgo lab standards. Ginkgo provides ongoing troubleshooting and support as needed.

Bioinformatics and epidemiological analysis

Ginkgo’s bioinformatics and epidemiological analysis platform provides threat analysis of key ports of entry and communities to understand and optimize sampling strategies; bioinformatics support including analyses of emergence, lineage, mutational profile, and probable source on threat-relevant samples. Epidemiological analysis contextualizes data with global trends, and modeling to inform response.

Experience & Expertise

We partner with governments around the world to rapidly launch pathogen monitoring programs to detect, monitor, and respond to biological threats. Recently, Ginkgo Biosecurity rapidly enabled mpox testing for one of our partners on the African continent. This rapid turnaround was made possible due to the existing partnership, advanced infrastructure, and active biosecurity program jointly led by Ginkgo and the partner. This demonstrates how working with Ginkgo equips our partners to rapidly respond to urgent public health needs and emergencies, enhancing preparedness when it matters most.

Case Study

Rapid response enabled mpox testing in an African country within one week

Day 0

Country’s Ministry of Health determines the need to launch mpox testing on wastewater samples collected at the airport as soon as possible.

Day 1

Ginkgo prepares all assay materials, including probes and reagents, for shipment at its laboratory in Boston.

Note: Procurement times may vary; this timeline is based on materials being available with limited supply chain challenges.

Day 3

Ginkgo ships all materials to the partner laboratory in Africa. Ginkgo’s lab enablement team travels to the partner laboratory to support testing launch.

Day 5

Ginkgo lab enablement team trains partner lab’s personnel, and deploys and validates assay. Data is reviewed by Ginkgo’s quality and technical experts prior to starting testing to ensure compliance.

Day 7

Partner lab is fully equipped to perform routine testing on airport samples. Lab enablement team provides remote support during initial days of testing to ensure confidence in the testing procedure.

Impact

Mpox detection and sequencing provides valuable data to inform public health responses and provide critical information on virus evolution, aiding the development of national containment strategies and potential countermeasure R&D and deployment.

Genomic sequencing is critical to identify characteristics such as increased pathogenicity, symptom severity, and therapeutic resistance. This is especially important in regard to vaccine design, as mpox has high morbidity and mortality potential, and sequencing data can inform vaccine updates or give early warnings of escape variants.

Ginkgo’s rapid enablement and support can strengthen a country’s response to the emergence of high-consequence pathogens.