Usefulness of saliva samples in the diagnosis of Monkeypox: insights
from Argentina
Abstract
Introduction: Monkeypox (mpox) is an emerging infectious disease. Since
May 2022, mpox cases have spread beyond endemic regions, including
Argentina. The gold standard diagnostic method is nucleic acid
amplification testing (NAAT) from skin lesion swabs. However, this
approach can be invasive and less effective for detecting asymptomatic
or presymptomatic infections, highlighting the need to explore
alternative methods such as saliva sampling. Methods: This observational
cohort study included 56 patients from an hospital in Buenos Aires,
between June and November 2022. Paired samples of saliva and skin swabs
were collected from 32 participants and tested using RT-PCR. Results: Of
the 32 paired samples, 17 (53.1%) tested positive for mpox. Saliva
showed a sensitivity of 88.2% and a specificity of 100% compared to
skin swabs. Higher Ct values were observed in saliva than in skin
samples (p<0.001). Conclusions: Saliva sampling is a feasible
alternative for mpox diagnosis, enabling patient self-collection and
improving early detection, particularly in asymptomatic cases. This
method could enhance monitoring efforts, especially in challenging
epidemiological scenarios.