Today, Aegis Sciences begins testing for monkeypox using CDC’s orthopoxvirus test, which detects most non-smallpox related orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox virus.

Aegis will perform this testing at its laboratories in Nashville, Tennessee, and can accept specimens from anywhere in the country. Aegis expects to be able to perform up to 10,000 tests per week, increasing the current capacity provided through CDC’s Laboratory Response Network (LRN), Labcorp, Mayo Clinic Laboratories, and Quest Diagnostics to up to 70,000 tests per week by the end of the month.

On June 22, HHS announced that five commercial laboratory companies would soon begin offering monkeypox testing. Since then, CDC has shipped the tests to the laboratories and their employees have been trained on their administration, among other steps.

Anyone with a rash that looks like monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider about whether they need to get tested, even if they don’t think they had contact with someone who has monkeypox. Healthcare providers nationwide can order the orthopoxvirus test from Aegis just as they would normally order other tests. People seeking testing for monkeypox must consult with their healthcare provider first; they cannot separately go to an Aegis laboratory, submit a specimen, and request testing. Aegis will use electronic laboratory reporting to report results to jurisdictions as outlined in the CDC reporting guidance.

CDC anticipates additional commercial laboratories will come online in the coming days, and monkeypox testing capacity will continue to increase throughout the month of July. Healthcare providers can access information on Aegis’s test here.* For more information about the latest CDC guidance, visit Recommendations for Healthcare Professionals. 

*Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by HHS or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site.