Development of a novel serological assay for the detection of mpox infection in vaccinated populations
Jennifer L. Yates, Danielle Hunt, Karen E. Kulas, Karen J. Chave, Linda M. Styer, Sandhya T. Chakravarthi, Gianna Y. Cai, Maria C. Bermúdez‐González, Giulio Kleiner, Deena R. Altman, Komal Srivastava, The PVI Study Group, Viviana Simon, Dennis Feihel, Joseph W. McGowan, Wayne Hogrefe, Philip Noone, Christina Egan, Mark K. Slifka, William T. Lee
Abstract
In 2022 the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency for an outbreak of mpox, the zoonotic Orthopoxvirus (OPV) affecting at least 104 nonendemic locations worldwide. Serologic detection of mpox infection is problematic, however, due to considerable antigenic and serologic cross-reactivity among OPVs and smallpox-vaccinated individuals. In this report, we developed a high-throughput multiplex microsphere immunoassay using a combination of mpox-specific peptides and cross-reactive OPV proteins that results in the specific serologic detection of mpox infection with 93% sensitivity and 98% specificity. The New York State Non-Vaccinia Orthopoxvirus Microsphere Immunoassay is an important tool to detect subclinical mpox infection and understand the extent of mpox spread in the community through retrospective analysis.