Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV), which is a member of orthopoxvirus genus. The reemergence of MPXV in 2017 (at Bayelsa state) after 39 years of no reported case in Nigeria, and the export of travelers’ monkeypox (MPX) from Nigeria to other parts of the world, in 2018 and 2019, respectively, have raised concern that MPXV may have emerged to occupy the ecological and immunological niche vacated by smallpox virus. This review X-rays the current state of knowledge pertaining the infection biology, epidemiology, and evolution of MPXV in Nigeria and worldwide, especially with regard to the human, cellular, and viral factors that modulate the virus transmission dynamics, infection, and its maintenance in nature. This paper also elucidates the role of recombination, gene loss and gene gain in MPXV evolution, chronicles the role of signaling in MPXV infection, and reviews the current therapeutic options available for the treatment and prevention of MPX. Additionally, genome-wide phylogenetic analysis was undertaken, and we show that MPXV isolates from recent 2017 outbreak in Nigeria were monophyletic with the isolate exported to Israel from Nigeria but do not share the most recent common ancestor with isolates obtained from earlier outbreaks, in 1971 and 1978, respectively. Finally, the review highlighted gaps in knowledge particularly the non-identification of a definitive reservoir host animal for MPXV and proposed future research endeavors to address the unresolved questions.

No abstract

No abstract

Aqueous extracts of the leaf of Harungana madagascariensis were analysed phytochemically and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against strains of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Glycosides, tannins, saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids were detected in the plant material. B. subtilis, E. coli and S. typhi, but not Ps. aeruginosa, showed susceptibility at MICs of 2.0 and 15.6 mg/mL; and MBCs of 2.0-3.9 mg/mL and 15.6-31.3 mg/mL, respectively, for the cold and hot extracts. Staph. aureus showed susceptibility only to the hot extract. Concentrations of 2.5-10.0 mg/mL of the cold extract killed over 7 log(10) of the test bacterial population within 30-60 min of exposure. The hot extract needed higher concentrations and longer treatment to achieve similar levels of bacterial cell killing. The results provide a rationalization for the traditional use of H. madagascariensis leaf extracts for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

No abstract

No abstract

Recombinant viruses based on modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) are vaccine candidates against infectious diseases and cancers. Presently, multiplication of MVA has been demonstrated in chicken embryo fibroblast and baby hamster kidney (BHK-21) cells only. The multiplication and morphogenesis of a recombinant (MVA-HANP) and non-recombinant MVA strain in BHK-21 and 12 other mammalian cell lines have now been compared. Rat IEC-6 cells were fully permissive to MVA infection. The virus yield in IEC-6 cells was similar to that obtained in BHK-21 cells at low as well as high multiplicities of infection. Vero cells were semi-permissive to MVA infection. Mature virions were produced in supposedly non-permissive cell lines. The multiplication and morphogenesis of non-recombinant MVA and MVA-HANP were similar. These results are relevant to the production and biosafety of MVA-vectored vaccines.

Orthopoxviruses (OPXVs) not only infect their natural hosts, but some OPXVs can also cause disease in humans. Previously, we partially characterized an OPXV isolated from an 18-year-old male living in Northern Norway. Restriction enzyme analysis and partial genome sequencing characterized this virus as an atypical cowpox virus (CPXV), which we named CPXV-No-H2. In this study, we determined the complete genome sequence of CPXV-No-H2 using Illumina and Nanopore sequencing. Our results showed that the whole CPXV-No-H2 genome is 220,276 base pairs (bp) in length, with inverted terminal repeat regions of approximately 7 kbp, containing 217 predicted genes. Seventeen predicted CPXV-No-H2 proteins were most similar to OPXV proteins from the Old World, including Ectromelia virus (ECTV) and Vaccinia virus, and North America, Alaskapox virus (AKPV). CPXV-No-H2 has a mosaic genome with genes most similar to other OPXV genes, and seven potential recombination events were identified. The phylogenetic analysis showed that CPXV-No-H2 formed a separate clade with the German CPXV isolates CPXV_GerMygEK938_17 and CPXV_Ger2010_MKY, sharing 96.4 and 96.3% nucleotide identity, respectively, and this clade clustered closely with the ECTV-OPXV Abatino clade. CPXV-No-H2 is a mosaic virus that may have arisen out of several recombination events between OPXVs, and its phylogenetic clustering suggests that ECTV-Abatino-like cowpox viruses form a distinct, new clade of cowpox viruses.