SEOUL– Seegene Inc., a South Korean molecular diagnostics company, said Tuesday it has developed a diagnostic reagent for the monkeypox virus and plans to supply it to countries where the virus is spreading.

Seegene said NovaplexTM MPXV Assay can identify monkeypox infections within about 90 minutes.

Seegene plans to supply the product to countries and regions where the monkeypox virus is spreading, including Europe.

South Korean health authorities remain vigilant against an inflow of monkeypox after they confirmed the country’s first case from a Korean traveler from Germany last Wednesday. The person has been in isolation treatment at Incheon Medical Center, west of Seoul, since arriving.

The government has designated the virus as a second-degree infectious disease out of a four-tier system. Currently, 22 contagious diseases, including COVID-19, cholera and chickenpox, are included in the same category.

Source: Yonhap News Agency