Publications by authors named "Jeffrey B Doty"

Background: Borealpox virus (BRPV, formerly known as Alaskapox virus) is a zoonotic member of the Orthopoxvirus genus first identified in a person in 2015. In the six patients with infection previously observed BRPV involved mild, self-limiting illness. We report the first fatal BRPV infection in an immunosuppressed patient.

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Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is zoonotic and capable of infecting many mammal species. However, whether common companion animals are susceptible to MPXV infection is unclear. During July 2022-March 2023, we collected animal and environmental swab samples within homes of confirmed human mpox case-patients and tested for MPXV and human DNA by PCR.

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Article Synopsis
  • Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a zoonotic virus that causes skin lesions in humans and is currently spreading globally, particularly its clade IIb strain from a 2022 outbreak.
  • A study was conducted on domestic pigs where some were inoculated with the MPXV clade IIb isolate, revealing that both infected pigs and sentinel controls developed minor lesions, but no infectious virus was isolated.
  • The research demonstrates that domestic pigs can be experimentally infected with MPXV and are capable of transmitting the virus to other animals, marking a significant finding in understanding the virus's host range.
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In September 2022, deaths of pigs manifesting pox-like lesions caused by swinepox virus were reported in Tshuapa Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Two human mpox cases were found concurrently in the surrounding community. Specific diagnostics and robust sequencing are needed to characterize multiple poxviruses and prevent potential poxvirus transmission.

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Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a reemerging virus of global concern. An outbreak of clade I MPXV affected 20 captive chimpanzees in Cameroon in 2016. We describe the epidemiology, virology, phylogenetics, and clinical progression of this outbreak.

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Monkeypox (mpox) is a serious viral zoonosis endemic in west and central Africa. An unprecedented global outbreak was first detected in May 2022. CDC activated its emergency outbreak response on May 23, 2022, and the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on July 23, 2022, by the World Health Organization (WHO),* and a U.

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Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the causative agent of an emerging viral zoonosis called bovine vaccinia (BV). Several studies have documented characteristics of VACV infections in Brazil; however, the manner in which this virus is maintained in wildlife remains unknown. This work investigated the presence of viral DNA and anti-orthopoxvirus (OPXV) antibodies in samples collected from small mammals in a VACV-endemic area in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the absence of current outbreaks.

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To investigate animal reservoirs of monkeypox virus in Nigeria, we sampled 240 rodents during 2018-2019. Molecular (real-time PCR) and serologic (IgM) evidence indicated orthopoxvirus infections, but presence of monkeypox virus was not confirmed. These results can be used to develop public health interventions to reduce human infection with orthopoxviruses.

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Article Synopsis
  • Monkeypox (mpox) is a zoonotic disease caused by the Monkeypox virus (MPXV), with two known genetic clades and has been rising in cases since 2014, particularly in Africa.
  • The reemergence of mpox can be attributed to various factors, including environmental changes, the end of smallpox vaccinations, and increased disease detection methods.
  • During 2018-2021, cases were confirmed mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, leading to mpox being designated a priority disease by the WHO, with training programs launched for health professionals on prevention and control of the disease.
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In July 2021, we conducted environmental sampling at the residence of a person in Dallas, Texas, USA, who had travel-associated human West African monkeypox virus (MPXV-WA). Targeted environmental swab sampling was conducted 15 days after the person who had monkeypox left the household. Results indicate extensive MPXV-WA DNA contamination, and viable virus from 7 samples was successfully isolated in cell culture.

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Rodents of the genus have been reported to be nocturnal with a bimodal activity pattern and to frequently change burrows. However, no studies to date have examined these ecological aspects with the use of radio-telemetry. Five were captured and radio-collared to study their activity patterns and burrowing ecology from 9 March to 15 April 2016.

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Article Synopsis
  • Human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been observed, but there is limited research on transmission in shelters.
  • A study was conducted at four animal shelters in the U.S. where animals were exposed to COVID-19 positive staff members.
  • Out of 96 tested cats and dogs, only one dog showed antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, with no viral RNA detected, suggesting a low risk of transmission in these settings with proper safety measures in place.
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Mongooses, a nonnative species, are a known reservoir of rabies virus in the Caribbean region. A cross-sectional study of mongooses at 41 field sites on the US Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St.

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  • Monkeypox is an emerging disease primarily seen in Central and Western Africa, and this study analyzed cases in Tshuapa Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 2011 to 2015.
  • Out of 1057 confirmed cases, the annual incidence was 14.1 per 100,000, with higher rates in males, particularly those aged 10-19, who showed the most animal exposures.
  • The research indicates that monkeypox incidence has doubled since the 1980s, potentially due to reduced immunity from smallpox vaccinations, highlighting demographic variations in exposure patterns related to cultural practices.
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Smallpox, caused by (VARV), was eradicated in 1980; however, VARV bioterrorist threats still exist, necessitating readily available therapeutics. Current preparedness activities recognize the importance of oral antivirals and recommend therapeutics with different mechanisms of action. (MPXV) is closely related to VARV, causing a highly similar clinical human disease, and can be used as a surrogate for smallpox antiviral testing.

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Akhmeta virus is a zoonotic first identified in 2013 in the country of Georgia. Subsequent ecological investigations in Georgia have found evidence that this virus is widespread in its geographic distribution within the country and in its host-range, with rodents likely involved in its circulation in the wild. Yet, little is known about the pathogenicity of this virus in rodents.

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The protection provided by smallpox vaccines when used after exposure to Orthopoxviruses is poorly understood. Postexposu re administration of 1st generation smallpox vaccines was effective during eradication. However, historical epidemiological reports and animal studies on postexposure vaccination are difficult to extrapolate to today's populations, and 2nd and 3rd generation vaccines, developed after eradication, have not been widely tested in postexposure vaccination scenarios.

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is a zoonotic (OPXV) that causes smallpox-like illness in humans. In Cameroon, human monkeypox cases were confirmed in 2018, and outbreaks in captive chimpanzees occurred in 2014 and 2016. We investigated the OPXV serological status among staff at a primate sanctuary (where the 2016 chimpanzee outbreak occurred) and residents from nearby villages, and describe contact with possible monkeypox reservoirs.

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In 2013, a novel orthopoxvirus was detected in skin lesions of two cattle herders from the Kakheti region of Georgia (country); this virus was named Akhmeta virus. Subsequent investigation of these cases revealed that small mammals in the area had serological evidence of orthopoxvirus infections, suggesting their involvement in the maintenance of these viruses in nature. In October 2015, we began a longitudinal study assessing the natural history of orthopoxviruses in Georgia.

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Bats are the second most speciose lineage of mammals with more than 1,300 recognized species. Overall, bats are extremely ecologically and morphologically diverse, making them of interest to a wide variety of biologists. Bats are also known reservoirs for an assortment of zoonotic diseases, including rabies, for which they are commonly tested if identified as sick, behaving abnormally, or in instances where there has been a significant human exposure.

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Monkeypox, caused by a zoonotic orthopoxvirus, is endemic in Central and West Africa. Monkeypox has been sporadically reported in the Republic of the Congo. During March 22-April 5, 2017, we investigated 43 suspected human monkeypox cases.

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Aedes aegypti is the primary mosquito vector of dengue viruses (DENV; serotypes 1-4). Human-mosquito transmission cycles maintain DENV during epidemics but questions remain regarding how these viruses survive when human infections and vector abundance are minimal. Aedes mosquitoes can transmit DENV within the vector population through two alternate routes: vertical and venereal transmission (VT and VNT, respectively).

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Background: Taiwan had been considered rabies free since 1961, until a newly established wildlife disease surveillance program identified rabies virus transmission within the Formosan ferret-badger (Melogale moschata subaurantiaca) in 2013. Ferret-badgers occur throughout southern China and Southeast Asia, but their ecological niche is not well described.

Methodology/principle Findings: As an initial feasibility assessment for potential rabies control measures, field camera trapping and pen assessment of 6 oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits were conducted in Taiwan in 2013.

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