Treatment and Vaccination for Smallpox and Monkeypox
Klaus P. Saalbach
Abstract
The smallpoxSmallpox infection with the variola virusVirus was one of the most fatal disorders until a global eradication was initiated in the twentieth century. The last cases were reported in Somalia 1977 and as a laboratory infection in the UK 1978; in 1980, the World Health OrganizationWorld health organization (WHO) declared smallpox for extinct. The smallpoxSmallpox virusVirus with its very high transmissibility and mortality is still a major biothreat, because the vaccinationVaccination against smallpoxSmallpox was stopped globally in the 1980s. For this reason, new antiviralsAntivirals (cidofovirCidofovir, brincidofovir,Brincidofovir and tecovirimatTecovirimat) and new vaccines (ACAM2000ACAM2000, LC16m8LC16m8 and Modified Vaccine AnkaraModified vaccine ankara (MVA) MVA) were developed. For passive immunizationImmunization, vaccinia immune globulin intravenousVaccinia immune globulin intravenous (VIGIV) (VIGIV) is available. Due to the relationships between orthopoxOrthopox virusesVirus such as vacciniaVaccinia, variola, mpoxMpox (monkeypoxMonkeypox), cowpox,Cowpox and horsepoxHorsepox, the vaccines (LC16m8LC16m8 and MVA) and antiviralsAntivirals (brincidofovirBrincidofovir and tecovirimatTecovirimat) could also be used in the mpoxMpox outbreakOutbreak with positive preliminary data. As mutations can result in drug resistance against cidofovirCidofovir or tecovirimatTecovirimat, there is need for further research. Further antiviralsAntivirals (NIOCH-14 and ST-357) andNIOCH-14 vaccines (VACΔ6 and TNX-801TNX-801) are being developed in Russia and the USA. In conclusion, further research for treatment and prevention of orthopoxOrthopox infections is needed and is already in progress. After a brief introduction, this chapter presents the smallpoxSmallpox and mpoxMpox disease and thereafter full overviews on antiviralAntivirals treatment and vaccinationVaccination including the passive immunizationImmunization with vacciniaVaccinia immunoglobulinsImmunoglobulins.