The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has authorized Sonic Healthcare USA as one of five commercial laboratories through the US CDC to start test validation using the high complexity NAAT (RT-PCR) molecular assay to identify Monkeypox virus.
Jerry Hussong, chief executive officer of Sonic Healthcare USA, said that as a leader in diagnostic medicine, it is their responsibility to work together with their government partners to mitigate the public health outbreaks in the United States.
He said testing will be performed at Sonic Reference Laboratory in Austin, Texas, and will be available to providers and their patients through the network of clinical laboratories of the company located across the United States.
The Medical and Scientific Leaders of Sonic Healthcare USA are actively monitoring the 2022 Monkeypox outbreak in the United States. Till now, over 400 people have been infected confirmed by the CDC in the United States, which involves more than 30 states.
Sonic Healthcare USA will continue to expand its services with the local, state, and federal health departments of the country to reach healthcare providers and their patients. Monkeypox virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with a skin lesion, placental transfer, and respiratory droplets during close contact, and also through handling of infected animals.
