Dosage comparison of Congo Basin and West African strains of monkeypox virus using a prairie dog animal model of systemic orthopoxvirus disease.
The prairie dog is valuable for the study of monkeypox virus (MPXV) virulence and closely resembles human systemic orthopoxvirus disease. Herein, we utilize a variable dose intranasal challenge with approximately 10(3), 10(4), 10(5), and 10(6)PFU for each clade to further characterize virulence differences between the two MPXV clades. A trend of increased morbidity and mortality as well as greater viral shedding was observed with increasing viral challenge dose. Additionally, there appeared to be a delay in onset of disease for animals challenged with lower dosages of virus. Mathematical calculations were used to determine LD(50) values and based on these calculations, Congo Basin MPXV had approximately a hundred times lower LD(50) value than the West African clade (5.9x10(3) and 1.29x10(5) respectively); reinforcing previous findings that Congo Basin MPXV is more virulent.
Hutson
Christina L
CL
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MS-G06 1600 Clifton Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. CHutson1@cdc.gov
Carroll
Darin S
DS
Self
Joshua
J
Weiss
Sonja
S
Hughes
Christine M
CM
Braden
Zachary
Z
Olson
Victoria A
VA
Smith
Scott K
SK
Karem
Kevin L
KL
Regnery
Russell L
RL
Damon
Inger K
IK
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D045908:Mpox, Monkeypox / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008993:Monkeypox virus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012589:Sciuridae; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014774:Virulence; D017201:Virus Shedding