The monkeypox virus, which originates in various regions of Africa, is related to smallpox (Variola), which are both members of the genus Orthopoxvirus. However, it is important to understand that Variola (major or minor) is the species of virus which is responsible for the worst human disease caused by the Orthopox viruses. For example, cowpox, horsepox, and camelpox are also members of this genus, none of which are a major health threat to humans, and one of which (cowpox) has even been (historically) used as a smallpox vaccine. My point is that just because monkeypox is related to smallpox, this does not in any way mean that it represents a similar public health threat. Anyone who implies otherwise is basically engaged in or otherwise supporting weaponised public health-related propaganda. In other words, spreading public health fearporn.
Monkeypox is a double-stranded DNA virus, which means that due to the double-stranded nature of DNA each of the two strands act as a “check” on the other during replication. As a consequence of this “error checking”, this and other DNA viruses mutate much more slowly than RNA viruses do. Over time, DNA virus genomes are relatively stable. This means that, unlike SARS-CoV-2 (Covid) or influenza, monkeypox is unlikely to rapidly evolve to escape either naturally acquired or vaccine-induced immunity. For the purposes of making a vaccine, this makes it a much easier target that, say, a rapidly evolving RNA Coronavirus such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19. Furthermore, from an immunological point of view, the various Orthopox viruses often are cross-protective. In other words, if you have been vaccinated with a smallpox vaccine, or previously infected by cowpox, camelpox, or monkeypox, you are highly likely to be quite resistant to disease caused by the monkeypox virus which is now being (quite rarely) reported in non-African countries.
Key takeaway: this is not influenza or Covid – this virus mutates slowly, it is not highly infectious, naturally acquired immunity is potent and long-lasting, and Orthopox vaccines are usually cross-protective. The risk of immunologic escape is very, very low. And the spread of this virus can be readily stopped by simple, inexpensive classical public health measures. If it were otherwise, we would already have experienced a pandemic of monkeypox decades ago.
So, is the biothreat real? Is it imminent? Does it justify the global media hype? As I was waiting in an airport lounge to travel from the USA to the UK two days ago, I saw a newsreel from CNN which was breathlessly reporting on this “threat” while displaying historic images of patients suffering from smallpox disease. This provides a classical example of public health fearporn, in my opinion, and CNN should be reprimanded for broadcasting irresponsible propaganda – misinformation and disinformation- under the guise of journalism.
In my opinion, based on currently available information, monkeypox is a virus and disease which is endemic in Africa, emerges sporadically after transmission into humans from animal hosts, and is typically spread by close human contact. It is readily controlled by classical public health measures. It does not have a high mortality rate. Unless there has been some genetic alteration, either through evolution or intentional genetic manipulation, it is not a significant biothreat, and has never been considered a high threat pathogen in the past.
So, stop the fear-mongering, misinformation and disinformation....<<<Read More>>>...