Smallpox: Diagnostics laboratory network
Overview
A re-emergence of smallpox is generally considered to be an improbable event, but if it were to occur, it would be a potentially devastating threat to public health worldwide. A case of smallpox detected by a member state requires notification as soon as possible to WHO under the International Health Regulations (2005), and any confirmed smallpox case would generate an immediate global public health response.
WHO needs to rely on fast and reliable laboratory diagnostic capacity worldwide to be able to identify a re-emergence of smallpox, particularly in countries where systemic Orthopoxvirus infections such as monkeypox, vaccinia virus infection or cowpox, and other non-pox viral rash illnesses such as chickenpox (varicella) may cause clinical diagnostic confusion.
WHO needs to be alerted when there is a highly suspicious or true smallpox event. Early detection and confirmation of smallpox rely on the two WHO Collaborating Centres for smallpox and other poxvirus infections at CDC (USA) and VECTOR (Russian Federation). These two Centres are supported by a worldwide network of reliable laboratories able to perform PCR and real-time PCR diagnostics to enable detection and first identification of smallpox events through the Emerging and Dangerous Pathogens Laboratory Network.