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Vaccine Nov 2023With the world grappling with continued spread of monkeypox internationally, vaccines play a crucial role in mitigating the harms from infection and preventing spread....
With the world grappling with continued spread of monkeypox internationally, vaccines play a crucial role in mitigating the harms from infection and preventing spread. However, countries with the greatest need - particularly historically endemic countries with the highest monkeypox case-fatality rates - are not able to acquire scarce vaccines. This is unjust, and requires rectification through equitable allocation of vaccines globally. We propose applying the Fair Priority Model for such allocation, which emphasizes three key principles: 1) preventing harm; 2) prioritizing the disadvantaged; and 3) treating people with equal moral concern. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEPV) has the most potential to mitigate harm, and so ensuring countries have sufficient supply for PEPV should be the first priority. And historically endemic countries, which face disadvantages that compound potential harms from monkeypox, should be the first recipients of such vaccines. Once sufficient supply is allocated for countries to apply PEPV, global allocation could move on to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), again prioritizing historically endemic countries first before distribution to the rest of the global community, based on projected number of cases and vulnerability to harm.
Topics: Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Post-Exposure Prophylaxis; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; Vaccines; Vulnerable Populations
PubMed: 37460354
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.07.021 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2024Despite being common worldwide, parapoxvirus infections are regarded as neglected zoonoses because their incidence is either unknown or grossly overestimated. In... (Review)
Review
Despite being common worldwide, parapoxvirus infections are regarded as neglected zoonoses because their incidence is either unknown or grossly overestimated. In ruminants all throughout the world, parapoxvirus produces oral lesions and infectious pustular dermatitis. The pathogen is typically spread directly via items contaminated with parapoxvirus and indirectly via a near contact with dermatological lesions that contain the virus on affected animals. Animals infected with the parapoxvirus typically exhibit no clinical symptoms, and the mode of parapoxvirus transmission is occasionally unclear. For accurate etiological diagnosis and appropriate therapy of patients affected by zoonotic infections, the significance of adopting a "One Health" approach and cross-sector collaboration between human and veterinary medicine should be emphasized. The causative pathogen of ecthyma contagiosum in general people is the orf virus, which mostly infects various animals, either pets or wildlife species. The illness primarily affects minute wild ruminants, sheep, cattle, deer, and goats, and it can spread to people through contact with infected animals or contaminated meats anywhere in the world. Taxonomically speaking, the virus belongs to the parapoxvirus genus. Thus pathogen can be detected from crusts for a very long period (several months to several years), and the virus is found to be resistant to inactivation with a hot or dry atmosphere. In immunocompetent individuals, the lesions often go away on their own with a period as long 2 months. Nevertheless, it necessitates the applying of diverse strategies, such as antiviral, immunological modulator, or modest surgical excisions in immunosuppressed patients. The interaction of the virus with various host populations aids in the development of a defense mechanism against the immune system. The parapoxvirus illness in humans is covered in this chapter. The orf illness, a significant known human parapoxvirus infection, is given specific attention.
Topics: Ecthyma, Contagious; Animals; Humans; Orf virus; Zoonoses; Parapoxvirus
PubMed: 38801578
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-57165-7_11 -
Journal of Virology Dec 2023Human poxvirus infections have caused significant public health burdens both historically and recently during the unprecedented global Mpox virus outbreak. Although...
Human poxvirus infections have caused significant public health burdens both historically and recently during the unprecedented global Mpox virus outbreak. Although vaccinia virus (VACV) infection of mice is a commonly used model to explore the anti-poxvirus immune response, little is known about the metabolic changes that occur during infection. We hypothesized that the metabolome of VACV-infected skin would reflect the increased energetic requirements of both virus-infected cells and immune cells recruited to sites of infection. Therefore, we profiled whole VACV-infected skin using untargeted mass spectrometry to define the metabolome during infection, complementing these experiments with flow cytometry and transcriptomics. We identified specific metabolites, including nucleotides, itaconic acid, and glutamine, that were differentially expressed during VACV infection. Together, this study offers insight into both virus-specific and immune-mediated metabolic pathways that could contribute to the clearance of cutaneous poxvirus infection.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Flow Cytometry; Gene Expression Profiling; Glutamine; Mass Spectrometry; Metabolic Reprogramming; Metabolome; Nucleotides; Skin; Vaccinia; Vaccinia virus; Viral Load
PubMed: 38009914
DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01272-23 -
Cell Reports Methods Oct 2023Mpox is caused by a zoonotic virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus and the Poxviridae family. In this study, we develop a recombinase polymerase amplification...
Mpox is caused by a zoonotic virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus and the Poxviridae family. In this study, we develop a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-coupled CRISPR-Cas12a detection assay for the mpox virus. We design and test a series of CRISPR-derived RNAs(crRNAs) targeting the conserved D6R and E9L genes for orthopoxvirus and the unique N3R and N4R genes for mpox viruses. D6R crRNA-1 exhibits the most robust activity in detecting orthopoxviruses, and N4R crRNA-2 is able to distinguish the mpox virus from other orthopoxviruses. The Cas12a/crRNA assay alone presents a detection limit of 10 copies of viral DNA, whereas coupling RPA increases the detection limit to 1-10 copies. The one-tube RPA-Cas12a assay can, therefore, detect viral DNA as low as 1 copy within 30 min and holds the promise of providing point-of-care detection for mpox viral infection.
Topics: Humans; Recombinases; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Monkeypox virus; DNA, Viral; Mpox (monkeypox); Nucleotidyltransferases; Orthopoxvirus; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
PubMed: 37848032
DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100620 -
Acta Tropica Sep 2023Human monkeypox (HMPX) is a zoonotic disease, literally meaning that it can be passed on from animals (non-primate) to human (primate). All the reported and recorded... (Review)
Review
Human monkeypox (HMPX) is a zoonotic disease, literally meaning that it can be passed on from animals (non-primate) to human (primate). All the reported and recorded cases have been traced back either to international travel or import of African animals. In the Unites states, sporadic monkeypox cases have been reported in specific over the past 50 years, starting its first identification in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.) in 1970. Due to its extreme versatility, this disease poses threat as a serious public health issue that needs to be monitored, researched and prevented. Data indicate that prior immunization with the smallpox vaccine is beneficial and may provide protection against the monkeypox virus. JYNNEOSTM is a live viral vaccine that has been approved to improve clinical manifestations of the infection. On the other hand, public ignorance about safety precaution towards monkeypox post-COVID is another challenge that needs to be overcome in tackling HMPX as a possible re-emergent infection. This review is a collation of the epidemiology, etiology, transmission, clinical features and treatment of human monkeypox (HMPX).
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); COVID-19; Monkeypox virus; Smallpox Vaccine; Zoonoses
PubMed: 37276922
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106960 -
Archivos de La Sociedad Espanola de... Apr 2024
Topics: Humans; Monkeypox virus; Mpox (monkeypox); Conjunctivitis, Viral; Keratoconjunctivitis
PubMed: 38401595
DOI: 10.1016/j.oftale.2024.02.007 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2024Smallpox was a significant cause of mortality for over three thousand years, amounting to 10% of deaths yearly. Edward Jenner discovered smallpox vaccination in 1796,... (Review)
Review
Smallpox was a significant cause of mortality for over three thousand years, amounting to 10% of deaths yearly. Edward Jenner discovered smallpox vaccination in 1796, which rapidly became a smallpox infection preventive practice throughout the world and eradicated smallpox infection by 1980. After smallpox eradication, monkeypox vaccines have been used primarily in research and in outbreaks in Africa, where the disease is endemic. In the present, the vaccines are being used for people who work with animals or in high-risk areas, as well as for healthcare workers treating patients with monkeypox. Among all orthopoxviruses (OPXV), monkeypox viral (MPXV) infection occurs mainly in cynomolgus monkeys, natural reservoirs, and occasionally causes severe multi-organ infection in humans, who were the incidental hosts. The first case of the present epidemic of MXPV was identified on May 7, 2022, and rapidly increased the number of cases. In this regard, the WHO declared the outbreak, an international public health emergency on July 23, 2022. The first monkeypox vaccine was developed in the 1960s by the US Army and was based on the vaccinia virus, which is also used in smallpox vaccines. In recent years, newer monkeypox vaccines have been developed based on other viruses such as Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA). These newer vaccines are safer and can provide longer-lasting immunity with fewer side effects. For the future, there is ongoing research to improve the current vaccines and to develop new ones. One notable advance has been the development of a recombinant vaccine that uses a genetically modified vaccinia virus to express monkeypox antigens. This vaccine has shown promising results in pre-clinical trials and is currently undergoing further testing in clinical trials. Another recent development has been the use of a DNA vaccine, which delivers genetic material encoding monkeypox antigens directly into cells. This type of vaccine has shown effectiveness in animal studies and is also undergoing clinical testing in humans. Overall, these recent advances in monkeypox vaccine development hold promise for protecting individuals against this potentially serious disease.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Smallpox Vaccine; Smallpox; History, 21st Century; History, 20th Century; Mpox (monkeypox); Poxviridae Infections; Poxviridae; Monkeypox virus; Vaccination; Viral Vaccines; Vaccine Development
PubMed: 38801584
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-57165-7_17 -
Nature Communications Apr 2024The 2023 monkeypox (mpox) epidemic was caused by a subclade IIb descendant of a monkeypox virus (MPXV) lineage traced back to Nigeria in 1971. Person-to-person...
The 2023 monkeypox (mpox) epidemic was caused by a subclade IIb descendant of a monkeypox virus (MPXV) lineage traced back to Nigeria in 1971. Person-to-person transmission appears higher than for clade I or subclade IIa MPXV, possibly caused by genomic changes in subclade IIb MPXV. Key genomic changes could occur in the genome's low-complexity regions (LCRs), which are challenging to sequence and are often dismissed as uninformative. Here, using a combination of highly sensitive techniques, we determine a high-quality MPXV genome sequence of a representative of the current epidemic with LCRs resolved at unprecedented accuracy. This reveals significant variation in short tandem repeats within LCRs. We demonstrate that LCR entropy in the MPXV genome is significantly higher than that of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and that LCRs are not randomly distributed. In silico analyses indicate that expression, translation, stability, or function of MPXV orthologous poxvirus genes (OPGs), including OPG153, OPG204, and OPG208, could be affected in a manner consistent with the established "genomic accordion" evolutionary strategies of orthopoxviruses. We posit that genomic studies focusing on phenotypic MPXV differences should consider LCR variability.
Topics: Humans; Monkeypox virus; Genomics; Orthopoxvirus; Mpox (monkeypox); Poxviridae
PubMed: 38637500
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46949-7 -
American Journal of Clinical Pathology Mar 2024
Topics: Humans; Monkeypox virus; Mpox (monkeypox)
PubMed: 37936266
DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqad134 -
The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery Oct 2023
Topics: Humans; Smallpox; Cicatrix; Variola virus
PubMed: 37220665
DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000009365