(Yicai Global) May 23 -- Shares in Zj Biotech hit the upper trading limit of 20 percent this morning and those in Sansure Biotech jumped as much as 19 percent after the Chinese pharma firms said they have developed monkeypox test kits as monkeypox becomes the latest viral outbreak to cause global panic.

Zj Biotech’s share price [SHA:688317] was trading up 16.2 percent at CNY47.99 (USD7) as of 11:30 China time. Earlier in the day it had hit CNY49.56. Sansure Biotech’s stock [SHA:688289] jumped 14.05 percent to CNY50.41. Earlier in the day it had reached CNY52.77.

Another molecular diagnostic solution provider Jiangsu Bioperfectus Technologies [SHA:688399] was trading up 7.72 percent at CNY146.60 (USD22). Earlier in the day it had surged 10.5 percent to CNY150.50.

Zj Biotech has a monkeypox nucleic acid assay kit that uses the fluorescent Polymerase Chain Reaction diagnostic method and which has already been certified in the European Union, the Shanghai-based company said on its WeChat account yesterday.

Sansure Biotech has monkeypox assay kits in technical reserve and is now applying to register the product overseas, the Changsha, central Hunan province-based firm said yesterday.

A monkeypox nucleic acid assay kit is among the list of products on Bioperfectus’ website but it has not yet been licensed and is only used for disease control and scientific research purposes at present, financial media Chinastarmarket reported previously.

Monkeypox originates from primates in the rainforests of central Africa and is transmitted by contact with bodily fluids from an infected person although human-to-human transmission is rare. Symptoms are similar to those of smallpox, but less severe, and include fever, aches and a rash of pus-filled boils.

There have been no reports of monkeypox in China so far. However, there have been 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases worldwide since May 13, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. The monkeypox virus has been detected in the UK, Spain, Portugal and nine other countries where it is not prevalent. No deaths have been reported.

Editor: Kim Taylor