The African Union’s health agency announced Thursday that it has endorsed a new mpox test developed in Morocco, calling it a “major milestone” in the fight against the outbreak on the continent.

The announcement comes three months after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency. According to a statement posted on X, the CDC has recommended the first locally produced real-time PCR test for mpox, developed in Morocco. This test is designed to quickly detect the DNA of the pathogen in blood, saliva, or tissue samples, and the CDC has confirmed its “reliability and efficacy.”

“This major milestone aligns with the African Union’s broader efforts to strengthen self-sufficiency in African public health systems, improving the continent’s ability to prepare for and respond to disease threats,” the CDC said.

In addition to this, last month the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the Alinity m MPXV assay, the first diagnostic test for mpox, manufactured by Abbott Molecular Inc. This test detects the virus from swabs taken from human lesions.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 50,000 mpox cases and around 1,100 deaths have been reported across Africa. Central Africa alone accounts for over 85% of the cases and nearly all of the deaths.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is caused by a virus transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals but can also spread from person to person through close physical contact. The disease causes symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and large boil-like skin lesions, and can be fatal in some cases.

In mid-August, both the Africa CDC and WHO declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency.