Deadline for public comments: 03 December 2025
Background
Mpox is a viral disease caused by the mpox virus, a member of the Poxviridae family - same family of viruses as smallpox. While it was discovered in 1958 in a captive monkey during a vaccine research in Denmark, it was first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In recent years, it has caused various outbreaks that spread outside Africa and warranted the WHO Director-General to declare two Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEICs): one in 2022 during the global multi-country outbreak, and another in 2024 following a resurgence of cases in Central Africa with cross-border spread. These declarations underscore the growing international health threat posed by mpox and the need for sustained surveillance, rapid response, and equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments. Laboratory testing is the basis for an efficient surveillance system, and therefore, the WHO is transitioning its interim guidance on diagnostic testing and testing strategies for mpox into a formal guideline.
The
guideline aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for testing
and testing strategies for mpox, with the overarching goal of reducing
transmission, minimizing morbidity and mortality, and strengthening
preparedness and response capacities at national and global levels.
Comments and perceptions brought to the knowledge of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s Conflicts of Interest assessment policy to strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO meetings involving the provision of technical/normative advice. Comments and perceptions will be carefully reviewed and treated confidentially. The comments will not be published and will be kept on record. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert, with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management action in accordance with its policies. The participation of an expert in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization, nor does it create a binding relationship between the expert and WHO. The list of participating experts, a summary of relevant interests disclosed by such experts, and any appropriate mitigation measures taken by WHO relating to the management of conflicts of interest, will be reported publicly in accordance with WHO practice.
Comments should be provided by email, and the receipt of these will be acknowledged through a generic email notification to the sender.
Please send your comment to mpox@who.int with the subject “Public notice and comments on the WHO Guideline Development Group for testing for mpox ” with indication of the name, nature, and contact details of the sender.
The deadline for public comments is 03 December 2025
Guideline Development Group (GDG) Members – Testing Guidelines for Mpox
Biographies of the currently proposed members: