Extended interhuman transmission of monkeypox in a hospital community in the Republic of the Congo, 2003.
This report describes the first reported outbreak of human monkeypox in the Republic of Congo. Eleven confirmed and probable monkeypox cases were observed during this outbreak, all were less than 18 years old, and most resided on the grounds of the Government Hospital in Impfondo. Molecular, virologic, and serologic, and diagnostic assays were used to detect evidence of monkeypox (or orthopox) virus infection in individuals with striking dermatologic and other clinical manifestations. The majority of cases in this outbreak experienced significant, symptomatic illnesses; there was one death, possibly involving secondary complications, and one instance of profound sequelae. Up to six sequential transmissions of monkeypox virus from person to person are hypothesized to have occurred, making this the longest uninterrupted chain of human monkeypox fully documented to date. The pattern of sustained human-to-human transmission observed during this outbreak may influence our current perception of the capacity for this zoonotic virus to adapt to humans.
Learned
Lynne A
LA
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Reynolds
Mary G
MG
Wassa
Demole Wassa
DW
Li
Yu
Y
Olson
Victoria A
VA
Karem
Kevin
K
Stempora
Linda L
LL
Braden
Zach H
ZH
Kline
Richard
R
Likos
Anna
A
Libama
François
F
Moudzeo
Henri
H
Bolanda
Jean Daniel
JD
Tarangonia
Paul
P
Boumandoki
Paul
P
Formenty
Pierre
P
Harvey
Joseph M
JM
Damon
Inger K
IK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003223:Congo; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D045908:Mpox, Monkeypox / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D008993:Monkeypox virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology