Smallpox News and Research

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Smallpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the variola virus, a member of the Orthopox virus family. It is one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity, with a mortality rate as high as 30%. In 1967, the World Health Organization embarked upon an intensified vaccination campaign to eliminate smallpox, which culminated in the successful eradication of the disease globally by 1980.

By the mid-1980s, there were only two known repositories of variola virus: the Institute of Virus Preparations in Russia, and the US CDC. The events in the US in September and October 2001 highlighted the risk that the variola virus might be used as an agent of bioterrorism. Governments around the world are taking precautionary measures to be ready to deal with a potential smallpox outbreak.

Novel mRNA vaccines encoding Monkeypox virus proteins show promise in preclinical studies

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers in China demonstrated the efficacy of three messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology-based Monkeypox virus (MPXV) vaccines in combating a lethal Vaccinia virus (VACV) challenge in mice models.

22 Nov 2022

Study concludes monkeypox virus is readily detected by qPCR using three clinically validated assays

Researchers validated monkeypox virus (MPXV) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays.

17 Nov 2022

Black, Hispanic MSM disproportionately affected by monkeypox

A recent study published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report described the epidemiologic characteristics of the monkeypox (MPX) outbreak in the United States (US).

15 Nov 2022

Can monkeypox infection lead to myocarditis?

A recent study presents the first known case of myocarditis as a complication of monkeypox virus infection.

13 Nov 2022

Immunological responses against monkeypox virus concerning the 2022 outbreak

A new study aimed to analyze the kinetics of the pox-specific T-cell induction, the inflammatory profile, and the inflammatory profile in human cases of the current monkeypox outbreak.

9 Nov 2022

What are the eye complications associated with monkeypox infection?

A new study describes the association between monkeypox infection and eye complications in humans.

9 Nov 2022

Phylodynamic analysis of the monkeypox virus genome suggests low genetic variation and evolutionary rates

Researchers explored the genetic variability among the monkeypox virus genomes of Clade IIb lineage B.1 using a phylodynamic and genetic survey to confirm the epidemic cluster in the clade and understand the evolution of the virus.

7 Nov 2022

Specific mutations in the monkeypox virus contribute to its continued infectiousness

Monkeypox has infected more than 77,000 people in more than 100 countries worldwide, and -; similar to COVID-19 -; mutations have enabled the virus to grow stronger and smarter, evading antiviral drugs and vaccines in its mission to infect more people.

4 Nov 2022

How does the ISG15/ISGylation system modulate Vaccinia virus infection?

Researchers demonstrated how interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is involved in the Vaccinia virus (VACV) dissemination.

1 Nov 2022

'What pediatricians need to know' about monkeypox in children

Children aged 8 years or younger should be considered a group at high risk for more severe monkeypox disease, reports The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, the official journal of The European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases.

28 Oct 2022

UC San Diego participates in national trial to assess potential treatment for human monkeypox

The University of California San Diego will be one of multiple sites assessing the safety and efficacy of tecovirimat as a potential treatment for human monkeypox.

27 Oct 2022

Researchers use models developed for COVID-19 predictions to predict and simulate monkeypox transmission and vaccination scenarios

Researchers estimated monkeypox virus transmission and simulated vaccination scenarios using models developed for COVID-19 estimations.

25 Oct 2022

Monkeypox virus infection and its persistence in the testes of infected crab-eating macaques

Researchers performed retrospective detection of the monkeypox virus in the testes of nonhuman primates.

22 Oct 2022

Review of characteristics of human monkeypox

Researchers conducted a scoping review of available literature on monkeypox (MPX), in a new study.

20 Oct 2022

UK hospital study explores whether monkeypox can be transmitted through aerosolized droplets and fomites

Researchers conducted an observational study to determine environmental contamination with the monkeypox virus in the hospital isolation rooms of monkeypox patients to understand potential exposures to healthcare workers.

20 Oct 2022

Mass General Brigham sites announce participation in phase 3 trial of monkeypox treatment

Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, the founding members of Mass General Brigham, today announced their participation in STOMP (Study of Tecovirimat for Human Monkeypox Virus), a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of tecovirimat (TPOXX) for the treatment of human monkeypox.

19 Oct 2022

Bioinformatics analysis of monkeypox virus-host cell interactions

A recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server reported the interaction between monkeypox and human cells. Molecular sequences were screened to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their associated signal pathway, expression regulation, and metabolic pathways.

18 Oct 2022

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