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Usefulness of saliva samples in the diagnosis of Monkeypox: insights from Argentina
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  • Alicia Lucero,
  • Cristina Videla,
  • Pablo Bonvehi,
  • Natalia Echegoyen,
  • Antonella Martelli,
  • Lucas Amaya,
  • Patricia Bare,
  • Diego M. FLICHMAN,
  • Alfredo Martinez,
  • Federico Di Lello
Alicia Lucero
Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas Norberto Quirno
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Cristina Videla
Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas Norberto Quirno
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Pablo Bonvehi
Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas Norberto Quirno
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Natalia Echegoyen
Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas Norberto Quirno
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Antonella Martelli
Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas Norberto Quirno
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Lucas Amaya
Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas Norberto Quirno
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Patricia Bare
CONICET-Academia Nacional de Medicina Instituto de Medicina Experimental
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Diego M. FLICHMAN
Universidad de Buenos Aires
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Alfredo Martinez
Centro de Educacion Medica e Investigaciones Clinicas Norberto Quirno
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Federico Di Lello
CONICET-Academia Nacional de Medicina Instituto de Medicina Experimental

Corresponding Author:fadilello@gmail.com

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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.
24 Oct 2024Submitted to Journal of Medical Virology
25 Oct 2024Submission Checks Completed
25 Oct 2024Assigned to Editor
25 Oct 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
05 Jan 2025Reviewer(s) Assigned