INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University Health opened a bio-secure lab that will be the primary testing site for suspected monkeypox samples in Indiana.
“Currently in the United States alone, there are very few facilities out there that are able to process and handle monkeypox specimens and at this moment IU is the only laboratory in the state of Indiana performing monkeypox testing,” said Kenneth Gavina, a clinical microbiologist with IU Health.
IU Health said scientists and technicians created the testing space at IU Health Pathology Laboratory in downtown Indianapolis in less than two months.
The enhanced biosafety lab enables scientists to safely deactivate the virus in incoming samples and test them for the presence of the monkeypox virus. Current test capacity is 500 samples a day and can grow with demand.
“Our ability to develop this test is testament to the expertise of Dr. Ryan Relich, our virologist and molecular pathology medical director, and his team. To launch our test locally means patients throughout Indiana do not have to wait an extended time for their important test results,” said Vice President of the IU Health Laboratory System Clark Day.
IU Health said turn-around time for results is 24-48 hours.
“Now that we have this testing in place, the goal is to try and make testing available for all residents of Indiana,” Gavina said.
It’s something many have been asking for.
Earlier this month 13News spoke with a Hoosier recovering from monkeypox. He said more testing and quicker results could’ve saved him from a lot of pain.
“If I would have been tested the first time and it came back positive, it would have dramatically changed the way this could have been treated. I would not have the symptoms I have now,” said James Ferguson.
What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
The symptoms tend to overlap with those of most viruses. Fevers, headaches, chills, muscle aches, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes are all symptoms of monkeypox. The true indicator that distinctly separates it from the rest is a pimple-like rash that appears on the face and other parts of the body, according to the CDC.
"The symptoms of monkeypox are very much like the symptoms of a cold initially," said Dr. Payal Kohli, assistant clinical professor at the University of Colorado. "So if you've got fevers, exhaustion, chills, a rash with or without swollen lymph nodes, you have to have a pretty high concern that it could potentially be monkeypox."
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine that would prevent monkeypox and smallpox in 2019. The Jynneos vaccine is administered in two doses and is recommended for individuals 18 and older that are at high risk for monkeypox. The CDC has a list of current eligibility for the vaccine:
1. Known contacts who are identified by public health via case investigation, contact tracing, and risk exposure assessments
2. Presumed contacts who may meet the following criteria:
- Know that a sexual partner in the past 14 days was diagnosed with monkeypox
- Had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days in a jurisdiction with known monkeypox