Frequent detection of monkeypox virus DNA in saliva, semen, and other clinical samples from 12 patients, Barcelona, Spain, May to June 2022

Aida Peiró-Mestres, Irene Fuertes, Daniel Camprubí-Ferrer, María Ángeles Marcos, Anna Vilella, Mireia Navarro, Laura Rodriguez-Elena, Josep Riera, Alba Català, Miguel J Martínez, Jose L Blanco, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona Monkeypox Study Group, Aida Peiró-Mestres, Irene Fuertes, Daniel Camprubí-Ferrer, María Ángeles Marcos, Anna Vilella, Mireia Navarro, Laura Rodriguez-Elena, Josep Riera, Alba Català, Miguel J Martínez, Jose L Blanco, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona Monkeypox Study Group

Abstract

A monkeypox (MPX) outbreak has expanded worldwide since May 2022. We tested 147 clinical samples collected at different time points from 12 patients by real-time PCR. MPX DNA was detected in saliva from all cases, sometimes with high viral loads. Other samples were frequently positive: rectal swab (11/12 cases), nasopharyngeal swab (10/12 cases), semen (7/9 cases), urine (9/12 cases) and faeces (8/12 cases). These results improve knowledge on virus shedding and the possible role of bodily fluids in disease transmission.

Keywords: PCR; monkeypox; outbreak; saliva; semen; shedding.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

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Source: PubMed

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