With the recent attention to cases in Brazil, the situation brings greater focus to the analytical process.
Mpox, caused by the MPXV virus, continues to be monitored by health authorities and the scientific community. In this context, laboratory diagnosis plays a key role in identifying cases, guiding investigations, and helping to interrupt transmission chains.
In practice, detection is primarily carried out using molecular biology methods. Beyond choosing the methodology, day-to-day operations involve critical factors such as analytical performance, risk of contamination, and the integrity and stability of samples and reagents.
In routine practice, these variations can occur subtly and may not always be noticed. Small fluctuations throughout the process, when monitored through controls, help maintain result consistency—especially in scenarios that demand fast and reliable responses.
Practical monitoring
In this context, Controllab offers the Mpox – Molecular Biology program.
The program includes Proficiency Testing (PT), also known as External Quality Control. In this process, laboratories receive lyophilized test items prepared from viral isolates with a complete genome, allowing them to assess the accuracy of their methods in identifying the microorganism.
It also includes Internal Quality Control (IQC), focused on the continuous monitoring of routine analytical performance.
The internal controls provided are third-party controls, manufactured by independent producers rather than the analytical system manufacturer, supporting a more objective evaluation. In addition, they include interlaboratory results across different systems, broadening the perspective on routine performance.
With this combined approach, laboratories gain greater visibility into their processes and strengthen the reliability of results in virus detection.
The next Proficiency Testing round, conducted in accordance with ISO/IEC 17043, will take place in April—an opportunity to observe, in practice, how routine analytical processes perform. For more information, contact a Controllab specialist.