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Volume 32, Number 3—March 2026

Dispatch

Optimal Specimens and Lesions for Mpox Diagnosis Using Real-Time PCR, South Korea

Dong-Min Kim, Munawir Muhammad, Jin Won Kim, Choon-Mee Kim, Jun-Won Seo, Da Young Kim, Na Ra Yun, Beomgi Lee, Minji Lee, Jeong Hyun Lee, Myung-Min Choi, and Yoon-Seok ChungComments to Author 
Author affiliation: Chosun University College of Medicine, Gwang-Ju, South Korea (D.-M. Kim, M. Muhammad, C.-M. Kim, J.-W. Seo, D.Y. Kim, N.R. Yun, B. Lee); Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia (M. Muhammad); Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, South Korea (J.W. Kim, M. Lee, J.H. Lee, M.-M. Choi, Y.-S. Chung)

Main Article

Table 2

Comparison of the positive rate and Ct value of real-time PCR at the time point of each specimen after symptom onset in patients with mpox, South Korea, 2022–2023*

Specimen type Days since symptom onset
 χ2 p value
0–1
2–3
4–10
10
No. (%) positive Median (IQR) Ct No. (%) positive Median (IQR) Ct No. (%) positive Median (IQR) Ct No. (%) positive Median (IQR) Ct
Skin lesion, n = 362 67/76 (88.2) 27.38 (21.9–34.8) 47/48 (97.9) 21.41 (19.5–25.0) 177/188 (94.2) 21.7 (18.8–27.4) 45/50 (90.0) 20.18 (17.8–24.0) 0.1421 <0.0001
Upper respiratory tract, n = 109 18/24
(75.0)		 33.47 (28.2–39.2) 10/15
(66.7)		 34.34 (30.5–40.0) 37/57 (64.9) 33.9 (29.2–40.0) 10/13 (76.9) 30.98 (25.0–37.2) 0.7380 0.3689
Blood, n = 135 8/25
(32.0)		 40 (36.9–40) 8/22 (36.4) 40 (38.0–40) 18/74 (24.3) 40 (39.84–40) 4/14 (28.6) 40 (36.6–40) 0.6930 0.7635
Rectal swab, n = 6 1/1 (100) 20.54 (20.5–20.5) 2/2
(100)		 18.7 (17.6–19.8) 1/1 (100) 22.0 (22.0–22.0) 2/2 (100) 26.43 (22.0–30.8) NA 0.1778

*Denominators indicate no. specimens tested on those days. χ2 value is of positivity rate; p value is of Ct. Ct, cycle threshold; IQR, interquartile range; NA, not available.

Main Article

Page created: February 13, 2026
Page updated: March 03, 2026
Page reviewed: March 03, 2026
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