猴痘病毒及其疫苗的研究进展

Progress in research on monkeypox virus and its vaccine

猴痘病毒(monkeypox virus,MPXV)是基因组全长约197000 bp的双链DNA病毒,属痘病毒科正痘病毒属,是正痘病毒中对人类致病的4种病毒之一,另外3种为天花病毒、痘苗病毒和牛痘病毒。自1977年全球消灭天花以来,猴痘作为一种类似天花的疾病和可能的生物恐怖主义媒介一直受到广泛关注。2022年5月以来,一些非MPXV流行地区的国家先后发现大量猴痘病例,且出现人际间传播,引起高度关注。2022年7月23日,世界卫生组织(World Health Organization,WHO)宣布猴痘疫情构成“国际关注的突发公共卫生事件(Public Health Emergency of International Concern,PHEIC)”,这是WHO的最高级别预警。猴痘病例数量以及发生猴痘疫情的国家数量正在迅速上升,对全球健康提出了新的挑战。为应对猴痘疫情的扩散,加快对MPXV的研究,研发出安全有效的猴痘疫苗迫在眉睫。本文对MPXV及其疫苗的研究现状作一综述。

Monkeypox virus(MPXV)is a double-stranded DNA virus at a genome length of about 197000 bp.MPXV belongs to Orthopoxvirus of Poxviridae,which is one of the four orthopoxviruses that cause human diseases,and the other three are variola virus,vaccinia virus and cowpox virus.Since global eradication of variola in 1977,monkeypox has been paid more attentions as a variola-like disease and a possible agent of bioterrorism.A large number of monkeypox cases have been detected in some countries which are not endemic areas of monkeypox virus since May 2022,and human-to-human transmission has occurred,attracting a great attention.On July 23,the World Health Organization(WHO)declared the monkeypox epidemic has constituted a“Public Health Emergency of International Concern(PHEIC)”,the highest level of its alert.The monkeypox cases and the number of countries in which monkeypox outbreaks occur are increasing rapidly,which is a new challenge to global health.In order to respond to the spread of monkeypox epidemic,it is urgent to accelerate the research of MPXV and develop a safe and effective vaccine.This paper reviews the research status of MPXV and its vaccine.