Another virus is making global news, this time it’s Monkeypox Virus. What Mirius has to say right now….

What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is the name of an infectious disease caused by a virus called Monkeypox Virus. The virus is called Monkeypox virus after it was first detected in monkeys in 1958, although monkeys are not the only animals that the virus can cause disease in.

Why is Monkeypox in the news?

Cases of monkeypox occurring in humans is not uncommon as there are several thousand cases seen each year. What’s unusual now, and therefore newsworthy, is that the infection is presenting in multiple countries outside western and central Africa – the normal home of the virus. That’s uncharacteristic of Monkeypox and people are taking notice. Of particular concern is the fact that most of the recent cases do not have direct travel-associated exposure risks!

Is the disease serious?

Monkeypox is regarded as a relatively mild, albeit unpleasant, disease in humans. Typically, a patient experiences flu-like symptoms, but monkeypox virus triggers swollen lymph nodes and forms unsightly vesicles, usually on the hands, feet and face. The majority of people recover from monkeypox in a few weeks without treatment.

How does the virus spread?

Most people will contract the virus through contaminated bodily fluids, notably saliva. That means human to human transmission requires close contact between people. Fomites have been firmly implicated as contributing to the spread of the monkeypox virus (1). Activities that introduce the virus directly to the mouth (e.g., sharing eating and drinking utensils with an infected person) presents a heightened risk of human-to-human transmission (2).

Do our antiviral products kill monkeypox virus?

Our antiviral products are called ‘antiviral’ because they have all been shown to possess the ability to efficiently inactivate (kill) a virus by the appropriate laboratory testing. The virus used by the lab to demonstrate (and measure) the antiviral activity of our products is called Vaccinia virus. Any other virus that is sufficiently similar to the structure of Vaccinia virus will be killed by our products. Monkeypox virus (as a pox virus) falls into that wider group of Vaccinia-like viruses. Therefore, our products can be considered to be highly effective against Monkeypox viruses that are contaminating surfaces and other fomites. This Monkeypox antiviral conclusion is supported by the Standard Test Method conditions and results (see Ref 3: BS EN 14476:2013 + A2:2019, Annex A)

 

References:

  1. Human Monkeypox: Current State of Knowledge and Implications for the Future. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2016, 1(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed1010008
  2. Introduction of monkeypox into a community and household: Risk factors and zoonotic reservoirs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 2015, 93, 410–415. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26013374/
  3. EN 14476 Annex 1 (informative – Enveloped Viruses) include Pox viruses, Herpes viruses, Influenza viruses and Coronaviruses.
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