Smallpox News and Research

RSS

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.

Researchers describe case report of male monkeypox patient

In a new case study, researchers described the case of a male patient with monkeypox.

10 Aug 2022

How effective is tecovirimat as a treatment against monkeypox?

A new study evaluated the use of tecovirimat for monkeypox treatment during the current outbreak.

9 Aug 2022

A California man’s ‘painful and terrifying’ road to a monkeypox diagnosis

Two days after Kevin Kwong flew home to California from New York, his hands itched so badly, the pain jolted him from sleep. He thought the problem was eczema.

4 Aug 2022

Case series of first 3 monkeypox patients in Massachusetts treated with tecoviromat

A team of US-based scientists has described the therapeutic efficacy of a pan-Orthopoxvirus inhibitor, tecovirimat, in patients with monkeypox infection

3 Aug 2022

Drugs with antiviral activity against monkeypox virus

In a recent study posted as an accepted manuscript in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers from the University of Oklahoma described three drugs with antiviral activity against the monkeypox virus (MPXV).

2 Aug 2022

Symptoms of monkeypox differ from previous outbreaks

A new study describes the clinical characteristics of monkeypox infections during the current outbreak.

1 Aug 2022

Würzburg scientists are working on the development of new drugs to combat monkeypox

Poxviruses pose a threat to humanity that should be taken seriously, as the current outbreak of monkeypox shows.

1 Aug 2022

ViruStop, ACROBiosystems’s new brand accelerating the process of vaccine development and approval

"Welcome to ViruStop!" Recently, ACROBiosystems officially announced the launch of a new brand, ViruStop. ViruStop is specifically designed for virus research and development, committing to accelerating the process of infectious diseases vaccine research, development and approval.

From ACROBiosystems 1 Aug 2022

Survey: Nearly 1 in 5 Americans are concerned about contracting monkeypox

As Covid-19 cases surge across the United States dominated by a highly transmissible subvariant and worry about Covid persists, some in the public have begun to voice concern about the new health threat of monkeypox, according to a new Annenberg Public Policy Center national survey.

29 Jul 2022

Sixteen countries reported monkeypox virus infection in humans between April and June 2022

Researchers have analyzed the recent cases related to the monkeypox virus infection.

27 Jul 2022

How prepared are we for a widespread monkeypox outbreak?

In a new study, researchers summarized the epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and prevention and treatment strategies for monkeypox (MPX) caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV).

25 Jul 2022

Is monkeypox a global public-health emergency?

A summary of available knowledge on the monkeypox virus including pathogenicity, risk to the human population, and strategies that can help limit its spread.

20 Jul 2022

What is the prevalence of orthopoxviruses across different populations?

In a new study, researchers assessed the prevalence of orthopoxviruses among the general populations of Bolivia, France, Laos, and Mali.

20 Jul 2022

Researchers describe viral shedding of monkeypox virus in patients to better understand the possible role of different bodily fluids in disease transmission

Researchers described the shedding of the monkeypox (MPX) virus (MPXV) in Barcelona city of Spain.

20 Jul 2022

CDC experts update on monkeypox in the United States

Scientists working with the CDC provide the latest information about monkeypox in the U.S.

19 Jul 2022

Fighting monkeypox, sexual health clinics are underfunded and ill-equipped

Clinics that treat sexually transmitted diseases — already struggling to contain an explosive increase in infections such as syphilis and gonorrhea — now find themselves on the front lines in the nation's fight to control the rapidly growing monkeypox outbreak.

19 Jul 2022