Monkeypox Goes North: Ongoing Worldwide Monkeypox Infections in Humans
Barbara S. Schnierle
Abstract
In the late 1970s, global vaccination programs resulted in the eradication of smallpox. The Monkeypox virus (MPXV), which is closely related to the smallpox-inducing variola virus, was previously endemic only in Sub-Saharan Africa but is currently spreading worldwide. Only older people who have been vaccinated against smallpox are expected to be sufficiently protected against poxviruses. Here I will summarize current knowledge about the virus, the disease caused by MPXV infections, and strategies to limit its spread.
Topics & Concepts
MonkeypoxSmallpoxVariola virusVirologySmallpox vaccineVaccinationOrthopoxvirusSmallpox virusDiseasePoxviridaeVacciniaMedicineBiologyRecombinant DNAGenePathologyBiochemistryPoxvirus research and outbreaksBacillus and Francisella bacterial researchHerpesvirus Infections and Treatments