Pasteur Institute of flawless diagnosis of monkeypox
Iran’s Pasteur Institute has achieved an excellent grade in a skill test program designed to assess the ability of reference laboratories worldwide to diagnose and identify monkeypox.
The program was conducted by a laboratory approved by the World Health Organization in Germany, IRNA reported.
The Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Team of the Pasteur Institute of Iran, responsible for overseeing 14 laboratories that conduct screening tests for orthopoxviruses, has received recognition from the World Health Organization for its capabilities in diagnosing monkeypox cases. This acknowledgment has instilled confidence in the country regarding the quality of the institute’s performance.
As one of the leading laboratories in this field, the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Team of the Pasteur Institute of Iran demonstrated its global competence by achieving an excellent grade of 100 percent accuracy in the 2023 skill test program.
Established in 2006, the Infectious Disease Rapid Response Team’s primary objective was to detect outbreaks of infectious diseases and unknown microbial diseases within 48 hours. Over the past 15 years, the team has played a crucial role in promptly identifying and responding to various bacterial and viral outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and monkeypox. It has become a vital pillar of Iran’s healthcare system.
Additionally, the team has prepared and implemented the syndromic care program for infectious diseases under the Ministry of Health. Currently, the laboratory of the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Team at the Pasteur Institute of Iran has the capability to conduct comprehensive examinations for respiratory viral diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, infectious fever and rash, as well as molecular diagnosis of emerging and re-emerging diseases.