From Farms to Pharma: A "Natural" History of Vaccine Production and Vaccine Skepticism
This article puts the relationship between vaccines and concepts like "nature" and "natural" in historical perspective. In the mid- to late 19th century, the smallpox vaccine, then the only vaccine available, was propagated on farms. Vaccine farmers-usually enterprising physicians-kept herds of cattle infected with cowpox, cultivating the virus "stock" from which the vaccine was derived. By exploring how vaccine farmers established and maintained public confidence in their products, we can see that debates over vaccine safety have always involved concerted efforts to persuade the public to place their trust in technologies...
Source: Am J Public Health - January 4, 2024 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tess Lanzarotta Source Type: research
Monkeypox: An outbreak of a rare viral disease
J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2023 Dec 28:S1684-1182(23)00238-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2023.12.006. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMonkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease rarely found outside Africa. Monkeypox can be spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person, and the rate of transmission is not very high. In addition, monkeypox and variola virus are both pox viruses, and the spread of monkeypox virus was also controlled to some extent by the smallpox campaign, so monkeypox was not widely paid attention to. However, as smallpox vaccination is phased out in various countries or regions, people's res...
Source: Journal of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection - January 4, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Ying-Hua Luo Tong Zhang Jing-Long Cao Wen-Shuang Hou An-Qi Wang Cheng-Hao Jin Source Type: research
Monkeypox: An outbreak of a rare viral disease
J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2024 Feb;57(1):1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2023.12.006. Epub 2023 Dec 28.ABSTRACTMonkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease rarely found outside Africa. Monkeypox can be spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person, and the rate of transmission is not very high. In addition, monkeypox and variola virus are both pox viruses, and the spread of monkeypox virus was also controlled to some extent by the smallpox campaign, so monkeypox was not widely paid attention to. However, as smallpox vaccination is phased out in various countries or regions, people's resistance to orthopox...
Source: Journal of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection - January 4, 2024 Category: Microbiology Authors: Ying-Hua Luo Tong Zhang Jing-Long Cao Wen-Shuang Hou An-Qi Wang Cheng-Hao Jin Source Type: research
Approaches to pandemic prevention – the chromatin vaccine
Developing effective vaccines against viral infections have significant impacts on development, prosperity and well-being of human populations. Thus, successful vaccines such as smallpox and polio vaccines, have promoted global societal well-being. In contrast, ineffective vaccines may fuel arguments that retard scientific progress. We aim to stimulate a multilevel discussion on how to develop effective vaccines against recent and future pandemics by focusing on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), coronavirus disease (COVID) and other viral infections. We appeal to harnessing recent achievements in this field specif...
Source: Frontiers in Immunology - December 8, 2023 Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research
Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 2396: Neutralization Determinants on Poxviruses
blo
Smallpox was a highly contagious disease caused by the variola virus. The disease affected millions of people over thousands of years and variola virus ranked as one of the deadliest viruses in human history. The complete eradication of smallpox in 1980, a major triumph in medicine, was achieved through a global vaccination campaign using a less virulent poxvirus, vaccinia virus. Despite this success, the herd immunity established by this campaign has significantly waned, and concerns are rising about the potential reintroduction of variola virus as a biological weapon or the emergence of zoonotic poxviruses. These...
Source: Viruses - December 8, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Vernuccio Riccardo Guardado-Calvo Pablo Tags: Review Source Type: research
Residual Immunity from Smallpox Vaccination and Possible Protection from Mpox, China
Y. Huang et al. (Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal)
Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal - November 30, 2023 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
Amid Congo's deadliest mpox outbreak, a new worry: virus has become sexually transmissible
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was experiencing its largest, most deadly outbreak of mpox ever, with more than 12,000 suspected cases so far this year and nearly 600 deaths, far surpassing those from the global outbreak of the same viral disease over the past 2 years. The WHO report and a study out today also explore a worrisome possibility: that the strain of virus in DRC, far deadlier than the one that drove the global outbreak, is in some cases spreading between sexual partners.
Originally known as monkeypox, the disease is caused by a virus ...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - November 30, 2023 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Amid Congo ’s deadliest mpox outbreak, a new worry: virus has become sexually transmissible
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was experiencing its largest, most deadly outbreak of mpox ever, with more than 12,000 suspected cases so far this year and nearly 600 deaths, far surpassing those from the global outbreak of the same viral disease over the past 2 years. The WHO report and a study out today also explore a worrisome possibility: that the strain of virus in the DRC, far deadlier than the one that drove the global outbreak, is in some cases spreading between sexual partners.
Originally known as monkeypox, the disease is caused by a vi...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - November 30, 2023 Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research
Viruses, Vol. 15, Pages 2301: Monkeypox Virus Immune Evasion and Eye Manifestation: Beyond Eyelid Implications
rez A. S. Quaresma
Monkeypox virus (MPXV), belonging to the Poxviridae family and Orthopoxvirus genus, is closely related to the smallpox virus. Initial prodromal symptoms typically include headache, fever, and lymphadenopathy. This review aims to detail various ocular manifestations and immune evasion associated with the monkeypox viral infection and its complications, making it appropriate as a narrative review. Common external ocular manifestations of MPXV typically involve a generalized pustular rash, keratitis, discharges, and dried secretions related to conjunctival pustules, photophobia, and lacrimation. Orthopo...
Source: Viruses - November 23, 2023 Category: Virology Authors: Francisco D. Lucena-Neto Luiz F. M. Falc ão Adolfo S. Vieira-Junior Evelly C. S. Moraes Joacy P. F. David Camilla C. Silva Jorge R. Sousa Maria I. S. Duarte Pedro F. C. Vasconcelos Juarez A. S. Quaresma Tags: Review Source Type: research
High uptake of vaccination against mpox in men who have sex with men (MSM) on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Paris, France
In July 2022, the French health authorities recommended smallpox vaccination (IMVANEX and JYNNEOS) to prevent mpox in population at high risk of exposure. HIV and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) physicians were informed and involved in the deployment of this vaccination, but there has been no communication to the general public. The current mpox epidemic in France, the rest of Europe and the USA is concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly in case of multiple physical and sexual contacts.1 2 Several case series have reported high proportions of people living with HIV and of users of HIV–PrEP.3 ...
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - November 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Palich, R., Jedrzejewski, T., Schneider, L., Qatib, N., Orriere, T., Gosset, D., Grunemwald, T., Pataut, D., Ohayon, M., Katlama, C. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
Efficacy of smallpox vaccines against Mpox infections in humans
Immunother Adv. 2023 Oct 7;3(1):ltad020. doi: 10.1093/immadv/ltad020. eCollection 2023.ABSTRACTThe Mpox virus (MPXV) is endemic in certain countries in Central and West Africa, where several mammalian species, especially rodents, are natural reservoirs. However, the MPXV can infect nonhuman primates and cause zoonotic infections in humans after close contact with an infected animal. Human-to-human transmission of MPXV can also occur through direct close contact with an infected individual or infected materials. In May 2022 an initial cluster of human Mpox cases was identified in the UK, with the first case confirmed in a p...
Source: Adv Data - October 27, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Melissa M Christodoulidou Neil A Mabbott Source Type: research
Efficacy of smallpox vaccines against Mpox infections in humans
Immunother Adv. 2023 Oct 7;3(1):ltad020. doi: 10.1093/immadv/ltad020. eCollection 2023.ABSTRACTThe Mpox virus (MPXV) is endemic in certain countries in Central and West Africa, where several mammalian species, especially rodents, are natural reservoirs. However, the MPXV can infect nonhuman primates and cause zoonotic infections in humans after close contact with an infected animal. Human-to-human transmission of MPXV can also occur through direct close contact with an infected individual or infected materials. In May 2022 an initial cluster of human Mpox cases was identified in the UK, with the first case confirmed in a p...
Source: Adv Data - October 27, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Authors: Melissa M Christodoulidou Neil A Mabbott Source Type: research
Functional epitopes and neutralizing antibodies of vaccinia virus
Smallpox is an infectious disease caused by the variola virus, and it has a high mortality rate. Historically it has broken out in many countries and it was a great threat to human health. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, and Many countries stopped nation-wide smallpox vaccinations at that time. In recent years the potential threat of bioterrorism using smallpox has led to resumed research on the treatment and prevention of smallpox. Effective ways of preventing and treating smallpox infection have been reported, including vaccination, chemical drugs, neutralizing antibodies, and clinical symptomatic therapies. An...
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology - October 25, 2023 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research
Genomic characterization and molecular evolution of human monkeypox viruses
AbstractMonkeypox virus is a member of the familyPoxviridae, as are variola virus and vaccinia virus. It has a linear double-strand DNA genome approximately 197 kb long, containing ~190 non-overlapping ORFs. Comparison of members of the Central and West African clades shows the presence of unique genes that are associated with different disease presentations, depending on the strain. The last smallpox vaccination efforts ended in the mid-1980s, and there is concern about the recent spread of human monkeypox disease around the world. Almost 87,000 human monkeypox cases have been diagnosed in the world, of which more than 10...
Source: Archives of Virology - October 21, 2023 Category: Virology Source Type: research
Mpox vaccination in a patient on anti-IL-23 therapy was well tolerated and led to seroconversion
We report on a 38-year-old HIV-negative man who was receiving treatment with the anti-IL-23 antibody risankizumab (150 mg every 3 months) for psoriasis vulgaris when he was assessed to be at high risk for Mpox. He had not previously received smallpox vaccination and had no additional comorbidities. On balance, rather than wait for the recommended washout period, we decided to offer a first vaccine dose (Jynneos 0.5 mL subcutaneously) 12 weeks after the last antibody dose, and to delay the antibody by 4 weeks. Vaccination was well... (Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections)
Source: Sexually Transmitted Infections - October 17, 2023 Category: Sexual Medicine Authors: Lindhof, H.-H. Tags: PostScript Source Type: research
