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.

154 million lives saved: Landmark study highlights power of vaccination

A major landmark study to be published by The Lancet reveals that global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives – or the equivalent of 6 lives every minute of every year – over the past 50 years.

25 Apr 2024

Research suggests booster doses may be necessary for monkeypox immunity

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that even in men who receives two doses of mpox vaccine intradermally, their level of antibodies to the virus falls to low or zero within the first few months if they have not received a previous smallpox vaccine.

1 Apr 2024

Study reveals waning antibody response to monkeypox vaccine over time

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that the antibodies produced by Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara - Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccination against mpox wane significantly within a year of receiving the vaccination – but in people with pre-existing immunity due to childhood smallpox vaccination in childhood, antibody levels remain high in almost all cases.

1 Apr 2024

Tracing Monkeypox virus: Leveraging ancient orangutan DNA to investigate the 1965 Rotterdam Zoo outbreak

Ancient DNA analysis of museum-preserved orangutan teeth reveals the cause of the 1965 zoo outbreak in the Netherlands as monkeypox virus (MPXV) infections, demonstrating the power of museomic techniques in tracing historic viral transmissions.

12 Mar 2024

Unraveling the architecture of poxvirus cores

A recent re-emergence and outbreak of Mpox brought poxviruses back as a public health threat, underlining an important knowledge gap at their core.

6 Feb 2024

INSIS study unveils secrets of rare vaccine events, shaping future immunizations

A University of Alberta professor is co-leading a new international vaccine safety network to examine why some people who received a COVID-19 vaccine experienced very rare adverse events associated with the vaccine.

17 Jan 2024

Research shows how the immune system keeps Herpes simplex virus at bay

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is extremely common, affecting nearly two-thirds of the world's population, according to the World Health Organization.

14 Dec 2023

Smaller mpox vaccine doses and intradermal delivery elicit detectable immune response, study shows

Delivering the two-dose mpox vaccine, called JYNNEOS, in smaller than the usual FDA-approved doses, and by injection between layers of the skin rather than by the standard route under the skin, produced a detectable immune response, a new study shows.

13 Dec 2023

Guinea worm cases near eradication, but animal infections pose new challenge

The CDC's latest report in the MMWR reveals significant progress in the global fight against guinea worm disease, with human cases dropping to 13 in 2022 and only three in the first half of 2023. However, challenges remain due to rising animal infections and civil unrest in affected regions.

16 Nov 2023

Epidemic: What good is a vaccine when there is no rice?

The 1970s was the deadliest decade in the "entire history of Bangladesh," said environmental historian Iftekhar Iqbal

24 Oct 2023

Lab-grown skin organoids help scientists understand monkeypox infection

Skin organoids offer a powerful platform for drug discovery in the ongoing fight against the virus formerly known as monkeypox.

16 Oct 2023

Living past 100: Healthy habits, good company, and a purpose in life

Researchers explore the secrets behind increased life expectancies, focusing on the influence of diet, lifestyle, and socio-economic changes. Centenarians, individuals living past 100, often delay age-related symptoms, suggesting a lifestyle emphasizing a balanced diet, social interaction, and regular exercise can significantly boost longevity and resilience.

10 Oct 2023

Epidemic: Bodies remember what was done to them

Global fears of overpopulation in the '60s and '70s helped fuel India's campaign to slow population growth.

10 Oct 2023

New meningitis vaccine safe and effective for infants in Africa

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers, as part of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC), provided an interim analysis showing that the pentavalent (NmCV-5) meningitis vaccine is safe for use in 9-month-old infants in the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa.

3 Oct 2023

Monkeypox mimics smallpox vaccine's immune response, new study reveals

The study in Nature Communications reveals that MPOX infection triggers an anti-viral antibody response akin to that from smallpox vaccination. Utilizing a comprehensive array of ELISAs, scientists found a high level of specificity and sensitivity in detecting antibodies against both MPOX and smallpox, offering a new, accurate way to measure immune responses.

26 Sep 2023

Study assesses duration of protection offered by smallpox infection and possible cross-reaction with Mpox virus

More than 43 years ago, many Chinese residents were vaccinated with the vaccinia virus Tiantan strain (VTT) to protect them from smallpox infection.

19 Sep 2023

Global case series uncovers Mpox resurgence among previously infected or fully vaccinated individuals

Researchers elucidated monkeypox's (mpox) epidemiological and clinical features.

8 Sep 2023

Human challenge trials: A game-changer in vaccine development? Examining their role in shaping the pandemic response

The history of using human challenge trials in developing vaccines.

15 Aug 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Another try for mental health ‘parity’

The Biden administration continued a bipartisan, decades-long effort to ensure that health insurance treats mental illnesses the same as other ailments, with a new set of regulations aimed at ensuring that services are actually available without years-long waits or excessive out-of-pocket costs.

27 Jul 2023

Radiation combined with cancer-targeting virus therapy more effective in fighting brain tumors

Combining a cancer-targeting virus with radiation to treat brain cancer in mice was more effective than either therapy on its own according to University of Alberta research, providing hope for new treatments that combine immunotherapy with traditional surgery, chemotherapy or radiation.

20 Jun 2023