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Infectious Disease Clinics of North... Dec 2019Recently, concern has been raised about the emergence of human monkeypox virus and the occasionally severe clinical presentation bearing resemblance to that of smallpox.... (Review)
Review
Recently, concern has been raised about the emergence of human monkeypox virus and the occasionally severe clinical presentation bearing resemblance to that of smallpox. In 2018 3 patients in the UK were diagnosed with monkeypox, and the frequency and geographic distribution of cases across West and Central Africa have increased in recent years. In Nigeria, most monkeypox patients are aged <40 years and lack cross-protective immunity because they were born after discontinuation of the smallpox eradication campaign. This article reviews the epidemiology, clinical features, and management of monkeypox and discusses its growing public health threat in this context.
Topics: Africa; Animals; Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Monkeypox virus; Risk Factors; Zoonoses
PubMed: 30981594
DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2019.03.001 -
Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy Nov 2022Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease that was once endemic in west and central Africa caused by monkeypox virus. However, cases recently have been confirmed in many... (Review)
Review
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease that was once endemic in west and central Africa caused by monkeypox virus. However, cases recently have been confirmed in many nonendemic countries outside of Africa. WHO declared the ongoing monkeypox outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern on July 23, 2022, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapidly increasing number of confirmed cases could pose a threat to the international community. Here, we review the epidemiology of monkeypox, monkeypox virus reservoirs, novel transmission patterns, mutations and mechanisms of viral infection, clinical characteristics, laboratory diagnosis and treatment measures. In addition, strategies for the prevention, such as vaccination of smallpox vaccine, is also included. Current epidemiological data indicate that high frequency of human-to-human transmission could lead to further outbreaks, especially among men who have sex with men. The development of antiviral drugs and vaccines against monkeypox virus is urgently needed, despite some therapeutic effects of currently used drugs in the clinic. We provide useful information to improve the understanding of monkeypox virus and give guidance for the government and relative agency to prevent and control the further spread of monkeypox virus.
Topics: Male; Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Homosexuality, Male; Pandemics; COVID-19; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Monkeypox virus
PubMed: 36319633
DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01215-4 -
Lancet (London, England) Jan 2023Monkeypox is a zoonotic illness caused by the monkeypox virus, an Orthopoxvirus in the same genus as the variola, vaccinia, and cowpox viruses. Since the detection of... (Review)
Review
Monkeypox is a zoonotic illness caused by the monkeypox virus, an Orthopoxvirus in the same genus as the variola, vaccinia, and cowpox viruses. Since the detection of the first human case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970, the disease has caused sporadic infections and outbreaks, mainly restricted to some countries in west and central Africa. In July, 2022, WHO declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, on account of the unprecedented global spread of the disease outside previously endemic countries in Africa and the need for global solidarity to address this previously neglected disease. The 2022 outbreak has been primarily associated with close intimate contact (including sexual activity) and most cases have been diagnosed among men who have sex with men, who often present with novel epidemiological and clinical characteristics. In the 2022 outbreak, the incubation period ranges from 7 days to 10 days and most patients present with a systemic illness that includes fever and myalgia and a characteristic rash, with papules that evolve to vesicles, pustules, and crusts in the genital, anal, or oral regions and often involve the mucosa. Complications that require medical treatment (eg, antiviral therapy, antibacterials, and pain control) occur in up to 40% of patients and include rectal pain, odynophagia, penile oedema, and skin and anorectal abscesses. Most patients have a self-limited illness; between 1% and 13% require hospital admission (for treatment or isolation), and the case-fatality rate is less than 0·1%. A diagnosis can be made through the presence of Orthopoxvirus DNA in PCRs from lesion swabs or body fluids. Patients with severe manifestations and people at risk of severe disease (eg, immunosuppressed people) could benefit from antiviral treatment (eg, tecovirimat). The current strategy for post-exposure prophylaxis or pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at high risk is vaccination with the non-replicating modified vaccinia Ankara. Antiviral treatment and vaccines are not yet available in endemic countries in Africa.
Topics: Male; Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Vaccinia; Homosexuality, Male; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Exanthema; Pain; Antiviral Agents
PubMed: 36403582
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02075-X -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Dec 2022Human monkeypox is a viral zoonosis endemic to West and Central Africa that has recently generated increased interest and concern on a global scale as an emerging... (Review)
Review
Human monkeypox is a viral zoonosis endemic to West and Central Africa that has recently generated increased interest and concern on a global scale as an emerging infectious disease threat in the midst of the slowly relenting COVID-2019 disease pandemic. The hallmark of infection is the development of a flu-like prodrome followed by the appearance of a smallpox-like exanthem. Precipitous person-to-person transmission of the virus among residents of 100 countries where it is nonendemic has motivated the immediate and widespread implementation of public health countermeasures. In this review, we discuss the origins and virology of monkeypox virus, its link with smallpox eradication, its record of causing outbreaks of human disease in regions where it is endemic in wildlife, its association with outbreaks in areas where it is nonendemic, the clinical manifestations of disease, laboratory diagnostic methods, case management, public health interventions, and future directions.
Topics: Humans; Monkeypox virus; Mpox (monkeypox); Smallpox; COVID-19; Africa, Central
PubMed: 36374082
DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00092-22 -
Drugs Jun 2022Human monkeypox is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus with presentation similar to smallpox. Monkeypox is transmitted incidentally to humans when they encounter infected animals....
Human monkeypox is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus with presentation similar to smallpox. Monkeypox is transmitted incidentally to humans when they encounter infected animals. Reports have shown that the virus can also be transmitted through direct contact (sexual or skin-to-skin), respiratory droplets, and via fomites such as towels and bedding. Multiple medical countermeasures are stockpiled for orthopoxviruses such as monkeypox. Two vaccines are currently available, JYNNEOS (live, replication incompetent vaccinia virus) and ACAM2000 (live, replication competent vaccinia virus). While most cases of monkeypox will have mild and self-limited disease, with supportive care being typically sufficient, antivirals (e.g. tecovirimat, brincidofovir, cidofovir) and vaccinia immune globulin intravenous (VIGIV) are available as treatments. Antivirals can be considered in severe disease, immunocompromised patients, pediatrics, pregnant and breastfeeding women, complicated lesions, and when lesions appear near the mouth, eyes, and genitals. The purpose of this short review is to describe each of these countermeasures.
Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Child; Cidofovir; Female; Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Pregnancy; Smallpox; Vaccinia virus
PubMed: 35763248
DOI: 10.1007/s40265-022-01742-y -
Journal of Infection and Public Health Apr 2023Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Poxviridae family of the genus Orthopoxvirus with two different clades known as West African and... (Review)
Review
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Poxviridae family of the genus Orthopoxvirus with two different clades known as West African and Congo Basin. Monkeypox (MPX) is a zoonosis that arises from the MPXV and causes a smallpox-like disease. The endemic disease status of MPX was updated to an outbreak worldwide in 2022. Thus, the condition was declared a global health emergency independent of travel issues, accounting for the primary reason for its prevalence outside Africa. In addition to identified transmission mediators through animal-to-human and human-to-human, especially sexual transmission among men who have sex with men came to prominence in the 2022 global outbreak. Although the severity and prevalence of the disease differ depending on age and gender, some symptoms are commonly observed. Clinical signs such as fever, muscle and headache pain, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes in defined body regions are standard and an indicator for the first step of diagnosis. By following the clinical signs, laboratory diagnostic tests like conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or real-time PCR (RT-PCR) are the most common and accurate diagnostic methods. Antiviral drugs such as tecovirimat, cidofovir, and brincidofovir are used for symptomatic treatment. There is no MPXV-specific vaccine; however, currently available vaccines against smallpox enhance the immunization rate. This comprehensive review covers the MPX disease history and the current state of knowledge by assessing broad topics and views related to disease origin, transmission, epidemiology, severity, genome organization and evolution, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
Topics: Male; Animals; Humans; Monkeypox virus; Mpox (monkeypox); Antiviral Agents; Smallpox; Homosexuality, Male; Sexual and Gender Minorities
PubMed: 36801633
DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2023.02.003 -
Indian Journal of Pediatrics Oct 2022Monkeypox is caused by a pox virus closely related to smallpox virus and spreads from animals to humans, and humans to humans following close contact. Prior smallpox... (Review)
Review
Monkeypox is caused by a pox virus closely related to smallpox virus and spreads from animals to humans, and humans to humans following close contact. Prior smallpox vaccination gives partial protection against monkeypox. The steady increase in monkeypox cases in Africa over the past few decades were ignored by the global scientific community till this year, when more than 16,000 cases have been reported from nonendemic countries. Monkeypox has recently been labelled as a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO. While most of the current cases are in men who have sex with men, there is the larger threat of the disease spilling into the general population. The disease is characterized by a short febrile illness with lymphadenopathy followed by a rash which spreads centrifugally and passes through phases of macules, papules, vesicles, and pustules. Recovery occurs in most patients within 2-4 wk. Complications are more likely in children, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised. Specific diagnosis is by detection of viral DNA by PCR. Treatment is largely symptomatic. Tecorivimat is a promising antiviral drug. Vaccination with the currently available smallpox vaccines is recommended for high-risk groups, health care workers, and close contacts. Control of the monkeypox outbreak needs a multipronged effort comprising enhanced surveillance, quick diagnosis, isolation of affected people, ring immunization, and adoption of "one health" approach.
Topics: Animals; Child; Female; Humans; Male; Pregnancy; Antiviral Agents; DNA, Viral; Homosexuality, Male; Mpox (monkeypox); Sexual and Gender Minorities; Smallpox; Smallpox Vaccine
PubMed: 35947269
DOI: 10.1007/s12098-022-04348-0 -
The Lancet. Infectious Diseases Dec 2022The largest outbreak of monkeypox in history began in May, 2022, and has rapidly spread across the globe ever since. The purpose of this Review is to briefly describe... (Review)
Review
The largest outbreak of monkeypox in history began in May, 2022, and has rapidly spread across the globe ever since. The purpose of this Review is to briefly describe human immune responses to orthopoxviruses; provide an overview of the vaccines available to combat this outbreak; and discuss the various clinical data and animal studies evaluating protective immunity to monkeypox elicited by vaccinia virus-based smallpox vaccines, address ongoing concerns regarding the outbreak, and provide suggestions for the appropriate use of vaccines as an outbreak control measure. Data showing clinical effectiveness (~85%) of smallpox vaccines against monkeypox come from surveillance studies conducted in central Africa in the 1980s and later during outbreaks in the same area. These data are supported by a large number of animal studies (primarily in non-human primates) with live virus challenge by various inoculation routes. These studies uniformly showed a high degree of protection and immunity against monkeypox virus following vaccination with various smallpox vaccines. Smallpox vaccines represent an effective countermeasure that can be used to control monkeypox outbreaks. However, smallpox vaccines do cause side-effects and the replication-competent, second-generation vaccines have contraindications. Third-generation vaccines, although safer for use in immunocompromised populations, require two doses, which is an impediment to rapid outbreak response. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic should be used to inform our collective response to this monkeypox outbreak and to future outbreaks.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Smallpox; Pandemics; COVID-19; Smallpox Vaccine
PubMed: 36116460
DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00574-6 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Feb 2022Monkeypox, a zoonotic disease caused by an orthopoxvirus, results in a smallpox-like disease in humans. Since monkeypox in humans was initially diagnosed in 1970 in the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Monkeypox, a zoonotic disease caused by an orthopoxvirus, results in a smallpox-like disease in humans. Since monkeypox in humans was initially diagnosed in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it has spread to other regions of Africa (primarily West and Central), and cases outside Africa have emerged in recent years. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature on how monkeypox epidemiology has evolved, with particular emphasis on the number of confirmed, probable, and/or possible cases, age at presentation, mortality, and geographical spread. The review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020208269). We identified 48 peer-reviewed articles and 18 grey literature sources for data extraction. The number of human monkeypox cases has been on the rise since the 1970s, with the most dramatic increases occurring in the DRC. The median age at presentation has increased from 4 (1970s) to 21 years (2010-2019). There was an overall case fatality rate of 8.7%, with a significant difference between clades-Central African 10.6% (95% CI: 8.4%- 13.3%) vs. West African 3.6% (95% CI: 1.7%- 6.8%). Since 2003, import- and travel-related spread outside of Africa has occasionally resulted in outbreaks. Interactions/activities with infected animals or individuals are risk behaviors associated with acquiring monkeypox. Our review shows an escalation of monkeypox cases, especially in the highly endemic DRC, a spread to other countries, and a growing median age from young children to young adults. These findings may be related to the cessation of smallpox vaccination, which provided some cross-protection against monkeypox, leading to increased human-to-human transmission. The appearance of outbreaks beyond Africa highlights the global relevance of the disease. Increased surveillance and detection of monkeypox cases are essential tools for understanding the continuously changing epidemiology of this resurging disease.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Female; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Male; Mpox (monkeypox); Monkeypox virus; Travel-Related Illness; Young Adult
PubMed: 35148313
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010141 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2022The current outbreak of monkeypox (MPX) infection has emerged as a global matter of concern in the last few months. MPX is a zoonosis caused by the MPX virus (MPXV),... (Review)
Review
The current outbreak of monkeypox (MPX) infection has emerged as a global matter of concern in the last few months. MPX is a zoonosis caused by the MPX virus (MPXV), which is one of the species. Thus, it is similar to smallpox caused by the variola virus, and smallpox vaccines and drugs have been shown to be protective against MPX. Although MPX is not a new disease and is rarely fatal, the current multi-country MPX outbreak is unusual because it is occurring in countries that are not endemic for MPXV. In this work, we reviewed the extensive literature available on MPXV to summarize the available data on the major biological, clinical and epidemiological aspects of the virus and the important scientific findings. This review may be helpful in raising awareness of MPXV transmission, symptoms and signs, prevention and protective measures. It may also be of interest as a basis for performance of studies to further understand MPXV, with the goal of combating the current outbreak and boosting healthcare services and hygiene practices. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02977715.. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03745131.. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00728689.. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02080767..
Topics: Humans; Mpox (monkeypox); Smallpox; Monkeypox virus
PubMed: 36263798
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2132882