Monkeypox outbreaks outside endemic regions: scientific and social priorities

• Published in: The Lancet infectious diseases Vol. 22; no. 7; pp. 929 - 931
• Main Authors: Zumla, Alimuddin, Valdoleiros, Sofia R, Haider, Najmul, Asogun, Danny, Ntoumi, Francine, Petersen, Eskild, Kock, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2022; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Clinical trials; Comment; Coronaviruses; COVID-19 vaccines; Developing countries; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; DNA viruses; Effective capacity; Epidemics; Global health; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; LDCs; Monkeypox virus; Mpox; Mpox (monkeypox) - epidemiology; Mutation; Public health; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA viruses; Rodents; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Smallpox; Stigma; Viral infections; Virulence; Viruses; United Kingdom > UK; Nigeria; Australia; Europe; Africa
• ISSN: 1473-3099; 1474-4457; 1474-4457
• DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00354-1

[...]whether these events are due to change in monkeypox virus transmission properties or increased virulence remains unknown. Compared with RNA viruses, the monkeypox virus is a large DNA virus, which makes itself more stable and efficient than RNA viruses at detecting and repairing mutations. [...]it is unlikely that the virus has evolved to increase human transmission. The unprecedented manifold increase in monkeypox cases seen in the past 3 weeks outside Africa yet again highlights that developing effective capacity at source is crucial for effective global public health preparedness and surveillance for zoonotic threats to global health security.1,2 Rapid garnering of financial and political support for this is required to fuel reassurance, rather than fear and stigmatisation. iStock/Biod AZ, NH, DA, FN, and RK are members of the Pan-African Network for Rapid Research, Response, Relief and Preparedness for Infectious Diseases Epidemics funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, which is supported by Horizon 2020, the EU's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.