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China says it can detect imported monkeypox cases
Updated 20:15, 09-Jun-2022
Gong Zhe, Zhao Yuxia
A press conference on China's disease control in Beijing, China, June 9, 2022. /China.com.cn

A press conference on China's disease control in Beijing, China, June 9, 2022. /China.com.cn

China can detect potentially imported cases of monkeypox in a timely manner, said an official from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.

The CDC has established a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to test for the monkeypox virus, said Xu Wenbo, head of the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention under the CDC, during a press conference in Beijing.

He said the method has been verified in Sierra Leone and can detect the virus in real time.

Xu Wenbo at the press conference on disease control in Beijing, China, June 9, 2022. /China.com.cn

Xu Wenbo at the press conference on disease control in Beijing, China, June 9, 2022. /China.com.cn

More than 1,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from 29 non-endemic countries, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news briefing on Wednesday.

China has yet to report any monkeypox cases.

Detecting hepatitis with unknown causes is another story

Xu also talked about China's ability to detect hepatitis cases with unknown causes in children, indicating that a method cannot be established yet since the exact cause is unknown.

Based on WHO's definition, children under 16 years old can be tested for common hepatitis types ranging from A to E. If the strain cannot be classified in any of the types, it's possible to define it as a case with unknown causes.

As of early June, a total of 650 such cases have been reported in 33 countries and regions, with nine people dying from the disease. Xu said China can conduct all the tests recommended by the WHO in a mature and reliable manner.

There has been no report about such cases in China so far.

Proper sampling during COVID-19 tests

During the same press conference, a health official answered questions about different sampling methods during COVID-19 tests, as some people on social media have wondered why there is no uniformity in how the various sampling units collect COVID-19 samples.

The person being tested should cooperate with the sampling personnel to get precise results, said Li Ang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission.

Li Ang at the press conference, June 9, 2022. /China.com.cn

Li Ang at the press conference, June 9, 2022. /China.com.cn

Li said sampling personnel should swab hard enough to collect the samples but not too hard to prevent hurting people.

He added that the current sampling processes match scientific standards based on the current data results.

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