Viral Diseases
Global Outbreaks of Monkeypox
May 25, 2022 Introduction WHO and other health organizations are alarmed at the recent global outbreak of monkeypox. As of May 21, 2022, more than 80 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in at least 12 countries outside of Africa (1). The first case of the disease in the UK was reported on May 7,…
Read MoreGlobal Virus Network (GVN) Launches Task Force to Combat Monkeypox Global Outbreak
Unusual outbreaks of monkeypox via human-to-human have been reported in the US, Australia, the UK, Spain, Portugal, and other European countries; While the transmission of monkeypox from animals to humans is well known, the increasing number of community transmission cases simultaneously occurring worldwide may represent an urgent pandemic threat. Baltimore, Maryland, USA, May 20, 2022: A higher…
Read MoreGVN Statement on Monkeypox Outbreaks
May 20, 2022 Unusual outbreaks of monkeypox have recently been reported in the US, the UK, Spain, Portugal, and other European countries. The chain of transmission is currently unknown, but it is clear that it involves human to human transmission. Although the virus has been known in the past to rarely cause such human-to-human transmission,…
Read MoreResurgent Outbreaks of Measles
Resurgent Outbreaks of Measles May 18, 2022 Introduction Two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought another health crisis to children. The number of measles cases reported worldwide (more than 17,300 cases) has increased by 79 percent in the first two months of 2022 compared to the same time last year (1). Countries with the…
Read MoreImpact of the Omicron variants on the Ongoing Pandemic
Impact of the Omicron variants on the Ongoing Pandemic May 10, 2022 Introduction The emergence of the Omicron variant in November 2021 has led to a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Since then, Omicron has kept evolving into several different sublineages. Furthermore, recombinant Omicron variants have been detected in patients by coinfection with the…
Read MoreGlobal Expansion of Acute Hepatitis Outbreaks in Healthy Children
Global Expansion of Acute Hepatitis Outbreaks in Healthy Children May 5, 2022 Introduction A recent rise in acute hepatitis among children is expanding globally. The UK first reported an unexpected, significant increase in cases of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin in previously healthy children. According to the WHO (1), as of 21 April 2022,…
Read MoreSpecialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPMs) as Potential Covid-19 Therapeutic
April 21, 2022 Introduction Our last Perspective described how the timing of the type 1 interferon (IFN) response is a critical early point in determining whether infection with SARS-CoV2 will lead to severe disease or not. IFN activity later in infection, when disease has already developed, is apparently ineffective, and is instead detrimental. Indeed, an…
Read MoreJapanese Encephalitis Virus: Ongoing Public Health Threat
April 7, 2022 Introduction Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis. JEV is a flavivirus (genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae) and shares a close genetic and antigenic relationship with West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Murray Valley encephalitis virus (1). Most people infected with JE do not have symptoms or…
Read MoreImpact of Interferon on Disease Severity of Covid-19
Impact of Interferon on Disease Severity of Covid-19 March 28, 2022 Introduction Types 1 and 3 interferon (IFN) expression and activity have been shown to play a significant role in determining the disease severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is becoming clear that the timing of IFN expression is critical in the efficacy of the early…
Read MoreStrategies to Eradicate Transmission of Poliovirus and Paralytic Poliomyelitis
Strategies to Eradicate Transmission of Poliovirus and Paralytic Poliomyelitis March 23, 2022 Introduction Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly infectious disease that mostly affects children under 5 years of age. The causative agent, poliovirus, replicates in the gut but in some cases can invade the central nervous system and cause permanent paralysis (approximately one in 200…
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