The Biosafety Research Road Map: The Search for Evidence to Support Practices in the Laboratory-Mpox/Monkeypox Virus.

DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
37736424
Abstract
INTRODUCTION

The virus formerly known as monkeypox virus, now called mpoxv, belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus and can cause mpox disease through both animal-to-human and human-to-human transmission. The unexpected spread of mpoxv among humans has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

METHODS

We conducted a literature search to identify the gaps in biosafety, focusing on five main areas: how the infection enters the body and spreads, how much of the virus is needed to cause infection, infections acquired in the lab, accidental release of the virus, and strategies for disinfecting and decontaminating the area.

DISCUSSION

The recent PHEIC has shown that there are gaps in our knowledge of biosafety when it comes to mpoxv. We need to better understand where this virus might be found, how much of it can spread from person-to-person, what are the effective control measures, and how to safely clean up contaminated areas. By gathering more biosafety evidence, we can make better decisions to protect people from this zoonotic agent, which has recently become more common in the human population.
Date Issued
2023-09-01
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Subjects
biosafety evidence biosafety knowledge gaps mpox mpox virus pathogen characteristics
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Blacksell, Stuart D
Dhawan, Sandhya
Kusumoto, Marina
Khanh Le, Kim
O'Keefe, Joseph
Kozlovac, Joseph
Al Muhairi, Salama Suhail
Sendow, Indrawati
Scheel, Christina M
Ahumibe, Anthony
Masuku, Zibusiso M
Bennett, Allan M
Kojima, Kazunobu
Harper, David R
Hamilton, Keith
Additional Credits
Journal
Applied Biosafety
Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert
ISSN
2470-1246
Access(Rights)
open.access
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