Analgesia during Monkeypox Virus Experimental Challenge Studies in Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Abstract

Because human patients with monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection report painful symptoms, it is reasonable to assume that animals infected with MPXV experience some degree of pain. Understanding whether and how analgesics affect MPXV disease progression is crucial when planning in vivo challenge experiments. In the current study, we challenged prairie dogs with a low dose (4 × 10 3 pfu) of MPXV and treated with meloxicam (NSAID) or buprenorphine (opioid); control animals did not receive analgesia or received analgesia without MPXV challenge. Subsets of animals from each group were serially euthanized during the course of the study. Disease progression and viral kinetics were similar between groups, but MXPVinfected, meloxicam-treated animals showed increasing trends of morbidity and mortality compared with other groups. Differences between no-analgesia MPXV-infected control animals and MPXV-infected animals treated with buprenorphine were minimal. The findings in the current study allow more informed decisions concerning the use of analgesics during experimental MPXV challenge studies, thereby improving animal welfare. In light of these findings, we have modified our pain scale for this animal model to include the use of buprenorphine for pain relief when warranted after MPXV challenge.

Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy of a Potential Smallpox Therapeutic, Brincidofovir, in a Lethal Monkeypox Virus Animal Model

“…A score of 7 to 9 necessitated continuing the precautions listed above for a score of 4 to 6, with the following adjustments/additions: increasing observation to at least twice daily, administering an analgesic (buprenorphine) if clinical signs warranted it, and/or considering euthanasia. A previously conducted study had determined that buprenorphine does not alter the disease course within the prairie dog following MPXV challenge (44). A score of $10 resulted in immediate euthanasia.…”

Characterization of Monkeypox virus dissemination in the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) through in vivo bioluminescent imaging

“…For instance, the ex vivo nose sample was predominately negative according to luminescence, but the necropsy method used only the very external section of the nares. We have previously seen that MPXV heavily infects the nasal-associated-lymph tissue (NALT) within this animal model following intranasal challenge [26]. Therefore, there was likely bioluminescent signal within the NALT, which was not adequately captured with our necropsy techniques used for ex vivo imaging the nose.…”

Monkeypox virus from neurological complications to neuroinvasive properties: current status and future perspectives

“… MPXV was detected in the brain tissues of two squirrels using qRT-PCR assay Recombinant Central African MPXV that expresses firefly luciferase Falendysz et al [ 56 ] Prairie dogs i.n. The viral load has been reported in the brain parenchyma MPXV-USA-2003–044 Hutson et al [ 57 ] Prairie dogs i.n. Positive viral load was observed in the brain MPXV-USA-2003/LUC Falendysz et al [ 12 ] CAST/EiJ mice i.n.…”