Monkeypox Outbreak Sparks New Research

By Kylie Wolfe

A virus thought to be largely eradicated has resurfaced around the world. Scientists are studying its path to learn more about its transmission and help society limit its spread.

Monkeypox, a rare form of smallpox, is typically found in West and Central Africa. The disease is characterized by flu-like symptoms, including fever, headaches, lymph node swelling, and blisters. As of June 2022, the World Health Organization reported 3,413 cases across Africa, the Americas, the Mediterranean, Europe, and the Western Pacific region.

Looking Back

The monkeypox virus, from the Orthopoxvirus genus, was first discovered in monkeys in 1958. The first case in humans was confirmed in 1970. But despite its namesake, the virus most likely originates in rodents and other small mammals.

There are two prominent strains of monkeypox, the Central African or Congo Basin strain and the West African strain. The former has a 10 percent mortality rate and the latter a 1 percent mortality rate. The current outbreak seems to include only the West African strain.

Monkeypox spreads via skin-to-skin contact or respiratory droplets. Fortunately, it’s not as transmissible as other viruses and can be contained by isolating infected patients. Also, the drugs and vaccines used to treat and prevent smallpox can do the same for this virus. Most people infected with it recover within a few weeks. Scientists are optimistic because it appears that monkeypox is not becoming more transmissible.

Genetic Findings

Because monkeypox is a DNA virus, it’s double stranded and more stable than a single-stranded RNA virus like SARS-CoV-2. This causes it to mutate slowly and means the existing cases are genetically similar. SARS-CoV-2, on the other hand, mutated and created new variants quickly throughout the pandemic.

Researchers have already sequenced samples of the monkeypox virus, which is much larger than that of SARS-CoV-2. This helped them identify that the current outbreak originated in Portugal.

Current Concerns

While there have been occasional outbreaks of monkeypox in recent decades, they tend to fizzle out naturally. This outbreak is different because of its widespread global impact.

“We get concerned when we see a virus doing things that we don’t normally see it doing,” Anne Rimoin, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Science. “We now have to really reevaluate what we know about monkeypox — which has all been gleaned, essentially, from low-resource settings in Africa — in very, very different kinds of populations.”

Even though the risks are low, it’s important to be aware of the signs and how it can spread. As scientists do their part to learn more about this virus and its characteristics, you can do the same — for your own health and those around you.