Register to attend the eChalk Talk, “Monkeypox: what is it, what therapies exist, and what research tools exist to study and evaluate interventions?” on Wednesday, June 15 at 1:15pm EDT with David Revelli, Ph.D., of Lovelace Biomedical.
By Jake McDonald, Ph.D., Lovelace Biomedical
Largely due to the experience with COVID-19, there are a lot of concerns about what the increase in reported cases of monkeypox could mean after an exhausting couple of years. Monkeypox has been around for many decades. Monkeypox—which gets its name because it was first discovered in a monkey (cynomolgus macaque) in the late 1950’s in a research facility, is transmitted zoonotically through close contact with infected persons and animals and consumption of infected animals in most of the cases.
It is considered endemic in central and western Africa, and its presence in Europe and North America is rare and mostly due to import of exotic mammals. The World Health Organization and others have been tracking the infections closely and have reported that the transmission in the current cases in Europe and North America seems to be linked to close physical contact between infected individuals. The most common transmission in these cases is through direct contact with lesions of infected individuals. Although there have been many reported concerns regarding aerosol transmission of monkeypox, this is very rare and unlikely, but may occur through large respiratory droplets.
Aerosol transmission would require the infected person to have a pneumonic form (active infection in the lungs). Research has shown that aerosolized monkeypox virus can stay ‘virulent’ in air for long periods of time if they are aerosolized. However, the infectivity rates compared with a virus like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) are dramatically lower and less likely.
If there is an active infection, it can present with flu like symptoms that then manifest itself to swollen lymph nodes and fluid filled bumps and pustules. Transmission occurs through contact with the infected person or surfaces that were in contact with these pustules. The pustules will typically go away, but in some individuals, they can last long periods of time and can scar. Mortality related to monkeypox is not expected in Europe and North American cases unless there are other important co-morbidities such as a depleted immune system. If caught early enough, there are very effective antiviral treatments and even vaccines that are effective against the virus.
The key for people at this point is to recognize potential exposure and if symptoms occur, to work with a physician to help diagnose what is expected to continue to be a very rare disease. On June 15, 2022, David Revelli, Ph.D., of Lovelace Biomedical will present a webinar on Monkeypox etiology and what research has been done to study treatments for it.
Register to attend the eChalk Talk on Wednesday, June 15 at 1:15 pm EDT.