Novel Treatment of a Vaccinia Virus Infection from an Occupational Needlestick - San Diego, California, 2019.

Novel Treatment of a Vaccinia Virus Infection from an Occupational Needlestick - San Diego, California, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019 Oct 25;68(42):943-946 Authors: Whitehouse ER, Rao AK, Yu YC, Yu PA, Griffin M, Gorman S, Angel KA, McDonald EC, Manlutac AL, de Perio MA, McCollum AM, Davidson W, Wilkins K, Ortega E, Satheshkumar PS, Townsend MB, Isakari M, Petersen BW Abstract Vaccinia virus (VACV) is an orthopoxvirus used in smallpox vaccines, as a vector for novel cancer treatments, and for experimental vaccine research (1). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends smallpox vaccination for laboratory workers who handle replication-competent VACV (1). For bioterrorism preparedness, the U.S. government stockpiles tecovirimat, the first Food and Drug Administration-approved antiviral for treatment of smallpox (caused by variola virus and globally eradicated in 1980*,†) (2). Tecovirimat has activity against other orthopoxviruses and can be administered under a CDC investigational new drug protocol. CDC was notified about an unvaccinated laboratory worker with a needlestick exposure to VACV, who developed a lesion on her left index finger. CDC and partners performed laboratory confirmation, contacted the study sponsor to identify the VACV strain, and provided oversight for the first case of laboratory-acquired VACV treated with tecovirimat plus intravenous vaccinia immunoglobulin (VIGIV). This investi...
Source: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkl... - Category: Epidemiology Authors: Tags: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Source Type: research