Isolation of viable monkeypox virus from anal and urethral swabs, Italy, May to July 2022
Davide Moschese, Giacomo Pozza, Davide Mileto, Andrea Giacomelli, Miriam Cutrera, Maria Vittoria Cossu, Maddalena Matone, Martina Beltrami, Federica Salari, Spinello Antinori, Alessandra Lombardi, Giuliano Rizzardini
Abstract
Anal and urethral samples from confirmed cases of monkeypox were screened for monkeypox virus (MPXV) by real-time PCR. Isolation of the virus was subsequently attempted in cell culture. Actively-replicating virus was demonstrated in 13 of 18 and 11 of 15 PCR-positive anal and urethral swabs, respectively, collected within 7 days from symptoms onset. Two asymptomatic secondary cases had detectable MPXV genetic material in urethral secretion and for one, MPXV was successfully isolated, supporting a potential MPXV sexual transmission hypothesis.