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.

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

Scientists detect monkeypox virus in the testes of macaques during acute infection

For the first time, scientists have detected monkeypox virus in the testes of macaques during the acute phase of infection, according to research published online today in the journal Nature Microbiology.

17 Oct 2022

Clinical trial to evaluate antiviral drug for monkeypox begins in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A clinical trial to evaluate the antiviral drug tecovirimat, also known as TPOXX, in adults and children with monkeypox has begun in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

12 Oct 2022

The role of wastewater surveillance for monitoring monkeypox

A new study reviews the advantages and current challenges associated with wastewater-based surveillance of MPXV.

10 Oct 2022

What is the impact of monkeypox infection on the hemostatic system?

In a recent study, researchers determined if monkeypox (MPX) infection affected the hemostatic system like that observed in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

6 Oct 2022

Myocarditis may be attributable to monkeypox infection

A new study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases found that myocardial infiltration could cause myocarditis during monkeypox virus infection.

5 Oct 2022

Study finds the majority of post-vaccination monkeypox infections occur within 2 weeks of receiving the first dose of MVA-BN

Researchers described the human monkeypox virus infection after vaccination with the modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccine.

5 Oct 2022

French study reports growing evidence of sexual activity-linked transmission of monkeypox

In a new study, researchers described patients with monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection.

3 Oct 2022

The management of monkeypox during pregnancy

In a recent correspondence, the authors responded to and clarified some of the contentions discussed in a letter to the editor about their August 2022 article on forecasting the risks of monkeypox in pregnant women.

30 Sep 2022

How effective are live-attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines?

Researchers opined on the use of live-attenuated whole virus vaccines as COVID-19 vaccines.

26 Sep 2022

Study compares monkeypox PCR testing protocols and efficiency at two U.S. reference labs

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers examined sample collection practices, epidemiological characteristics, and cycle threshold (Ct) values for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests used in two reference laboratories in the United States (U.S.) to detect monkeypox virus (MPXV).

25 Sep 2022

How smallpox and monkeypox viruses affect the nervous system

A recent study provides an overview of existing literature on the complications of infection with both smallpox and monkeypox virus.

25 Sep 2022

An unusual case of Monkeypox virus transmission by needlestick injury

In a recent study published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers described an unusual case of patient-to-healthcare worker (HCW) monkeypox virus (MPXV) transmission via a needlestick injury that occured in Brazil.

21 Sep 2022

Virology of the human monkeypox virus

A new review to be posted in the Virus Research journal aims to provide an overview of the recent advances reported concerning hMPXV virology.

21 Sep 2022

The potential global risk of monkeypox importation

Researchers hypothesized various scenarios of travel restrictions to estimate the potential global risk of monkeypox virus (MPXV) importation.

21 Sep 2022

Evidence A.2 lineage of monkeypox is mutating

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, a team of researchers from India analyzed the whole genome sequences of the monkeypox virus isolated from monkeypox patients with and without international travel histories to understand the phylogenetic relations and genomic evolution of the virus that could contribute to higher transmission rates.

21 Sep 2022

Recommendations for the treatment, prevention of monkeypox in nursing mothers

Although none of the preventative or therapeutic agents used in monkeypox have been fully studied in nursing mothers, Philip Anderson, PharmD, from the University of California, San Diego, presents a broad practical recommendation for the treatment and prevention of monkeypox in nursing mothers in an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine.

20 Sep 2022

Monkeypox infection in a smallpox-vaccinated patient

In a recent study published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, researchers at Madigan Army Medical Center assessed the characteristics of monkeypox infection in a patient vaccinated against smallpox.

20 Sep 2022

Vaccines used to prevent monkeypox

A new review published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases aimed to describe the efficacy of vaccinia virus-based smallpox vaccines against the current monkeypox outbreak.

18 Sep 2022