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.

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

UCLA announces participation in a phase 3 trial evaluating tecovirimat for the treatment of monkeypox

The UCLA Clinical AIDS Research and Education (CARE) Center today announced its participation in STOMP (Study of Tecovirimat for Human Monkeypox Virus), or A5418, a phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of tecovirimat for the treatment of human monkeypox.

16 Sep 2022

UW Medicine researchers seek participants for Phase 3 clinical trial of a drug to treat monkeypox

UW Medicine researchers are recruiting participants for a Phase 3 clinical trial of a drug to treat the monkeypox virus.

16 Sep 2022

Survey highlights increase in the public's knowledge about monkeypox

The public's knowledge about monkeypox has increased rapidly in recent weeks though misconceptions and uncertainty persist, and over a quarter of Americans say they are not likely to get vaccinated against monkeypox if they're exposed to it, according to a new Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) survey.

15 Sep 2022

Concern over two cases of monkeypox-related neurological complications in the U.S.

A new study published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report analyzed two people with encephalomyelitis associated with monkeypox disease in Colorado and DC during the current outbreak.

15 Sep 2022

Study highlights the efficacy of MVA-BN booster vaccination in inducing durable B cell memory responses against monkeypox

In a new study, researchers assessed the immunogenicity, safety, and booster-efficacy of the Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccine currently being used for immunization against monkeypox.

14 Sep 2022

The kinetics of T cell response, the inflammatory profile, and the pox-specific T cell induction in monkeypox infection

A new study describes the changes in immune T cell profile over time following monkeypox infection.

14 Sep 2022

Transmission of monkeypox virus atypical and unique in 2022

In a recent study published in the journal Viruses, researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases identified and presented all the relevant research on the monkeypox virus (MPXV) to draw inferences about the 2022 MPXV outbreak.

13 Sep 2022

What is the effectiveness of tecovirimat for treatment of monkeypox?

Researchers assessed the effectiveness of tecovirimat in monkeypox treatment in a new study.

13 Sep 2022

The maternal and perinatal outcomes of pregnancies complicated by monkeypox infection

A new study reviews the available evidence on the impact of monkeypox infection during pregnancy.

13 Sep 2022

False positive monkeypox tests in low-risk patients with no exposures

Researchers reported three monkeypox diagnoses presenting atypical rashes.

13 Sep 2022

Are antibodies induced by historic smallpox vaccination cross-reactive with the monkeypox virus?

esearchers measured the monkeypox virus-neutralizing antibodies produced by the vaccinia virus vaccine, modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccine, and monkeypox virus to understand the efficacy of the MVA-Bavarian Nordic vaccine currently being used against monkeypox.

12 Sep 2022

CDC report shows people with monkeypox have higher than expected rates of HIV and STIs

Researchers investigated the prevalence of HIV, and other recent sexually transmitted infection diagnoses among persons with monkeypox.

12 Sep 2022

Monkeypox in the WHO European region: epidemiological features, disease severity, and the impact of smallpox vaccination

A new study aimed to analyze the epidemiological features of MPX, disease severity, as well as the impact of smallpox vaccination on all infected cases reported in the WHO European Region.

12 Sep 2022

Smallpox News and Research

Further Reading

An unusual case of Monkeypox virus transmission by needlestick injury

Virology of the human monkeypox virus

The potential global risk of monkeypox importation

Evidence A.2 lineage of monkeypox is mutating

Recommendations for the treatment, prevention of monkeypox in nursing mothers

Monkeypox infection in a smallpox-vaccinated patient

Vaccines used to prevent monkeypox

UCLA announces participation in a phase 3 trial evaluating tecovirimat for the treatment of monkeypox

UW Medicine researchers seek participants for Phase 3 clinical trial of a drug to treat monkeypox

Survey highlights increase in the public's knowledge about monkeypox

Concern over two cases of monkeypox-related neurological complications in the U.S.

Study highlights the efficacy of MVA-BN booster vaccination in inducing durable B cell memory responses against monkeypox

The kinetics of T cell response, the inflammatory profile, and the pox-specific T cell induction in monkeypox infection

Transmission of monkeypox virus atypical and unique in 2022

What is the effectiveness of tecovirimat for treatment of monkeypox?

The maternal and perinatal outcomes of pregnancies complicated by monkeypox infection

False positive monkeypox tests in low-risk patients with no exposures

Are antibodies induced by historic smallpox vaccination cross-reactive with the monkeypox virus?

CDC report shows people with monkeypox have higher than expected rates of HIV and STIs

Monkeypox in the WHO European region: epidemiological features, disease severity, and the impact of smallpox vaccination

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