Monkeypox virus spreads to 12 countries!

Many A-share companies claim to have test kits, and "monkeypox concept stocks" change

  Duan Fangyuan

  Since the UK first confirmed the first case of monkeypox this year on May 6, the monkeypox virus has spread to more than ten countries including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

According to WHO, some monkeypox viruses may have a fatality rate of 10%.

  At present, several listed companies such as Shengxiang Bio and Daan Gene have announced that they have stockpiled monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kits.

At the same time, the "monkeypox concept stocks" changed on Friday, and Zhijiang Bio once hit the "20CM" daily limit.

US buys millions of vaccine doses

  According to the World Health Organization, as of May 21, 12 non-monkeypox-endemic countries had reported 92 confirmed and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox.

At the same time, the WHO warned that the monkeypox virus has been spreading silently in the community, and the number of infections may increase further in the future.

  It is worth noting that some monkeypox viruses have a high fatality rate, and there is no effective treatment for the time being.

According to WHO, monkeypox virus is divided into West African clade and Congo Basin clade.

Among them, the case fatality rate of monkeypox virus in the West African branch is low, about 1%, while the case fatality rate of the Congo Basin branch may reach 10%.

  According to WHO, the symptoms of monkeypox virus infection are similar to those of smallpox, but the clinical severity is less severe.

The incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days and may be as long as 21 days.

Early symptoms include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and severe fatigue, among which swollen lymph nodes help differentiate monkeypox from smallpox.

A few days after the fever develops into a large rash on the face and other parts of the body, and may lead to secondary infection, bronchopneumonia, sepsis, etc.

  WHO data shows that the smallpox vaccine is 85% effective against monkeypox virus.

  On May 21, the U.S. health department has ordered millions of doses of monkeypox vaccine worth $119 million after the United States reported its first human case of monkeypox virus this year, according to media reports.

viral zoonotic disease

  What exactly is monkeypox virus?

Where does it come from?

  Public information shows that monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease. Its pathogen, monkeypox virus, is a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) virus, belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus of the family Poxviridae, and has ravaged thousands of people in human history. The smallpox virus of 2009 is a "close relative".

Monkeypox virus was first discovered in 1958, when a "pox-like" infectious disease appeared in a group of monkeys used for research, hence its name.

Since the World Health Organization announced the complete eradication of smallpox in humans in 1980, monkeypox virus has become the orthopox virus with the greatest impact on public health.

  According to an update on the WHO website on the 19th, although the monkeypox virus was first identified in monkeys, rodents are most likely its natural host.

In Africa, it has been found that squirrels, Gambian rats, different species of monkeys and other animals may be infected with monkeypox virus.

  In 1970, the first human case of monkeypox infection was found in Congo (DRC), and subsequently monkeypox virus emerged in other parts of the African continent.

In 2003, the first monkeypox outbreak outside the African continent occurred in the United States, and dozens of people were infected. The source of infection can be traced back to Gambian rats and dormouse shipped from Ghana to the United States.

  Direct contact with blood, body fluids, skin or mucosal lesions of infected animals, etc., may lead to the transmission of monkeypox virus from animals to humans.

Eating improperly cooked infected animals is also a risk factor for "animal-to-human transmission."

In general, human-to-human transmission of monkeypox virus is uncommon.

The human-to-human transmission route includes close contact with the respiratory secretions, skin lesions or contaminated items of infected persons, and it usually takes longer face-to-face to transmit respiratory droplets.

In addition, mother-to-child transmission of monkeypox virus may occur through the placenta or through close contact during labor.

  WHO emphasizes that in order to reduce the risk of infection, contact with wild animals in monkeypox virus-endemic areas should be avoided, especially to avoid unprotected contact with the meat, blood or other parts of sick or dead animals, and the consumption of meat must be thorough. cooked.

Monkeypox test kits in stock

  After the monkeypox virus spread in many countries around the world, many listed companies have started the reserve work of monkeypox virus detection kits.

  On May 22, Shengxiang Bio announced through the official WeChat that the monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (PCR-fluorescent probe method) has been reserved in the company's scientific research products, which is suitable for the rapid diagnosis of related diseases caused by monkeypox virus infection. And it is compatible with fluorescent PCR platform and Shengxiang Bio-POCT platform, which can be quickly applied on the well-established new crown nucleic acid detection platform.

  At the same time, the relevant person in charge of Shengxiang Bio introduced that the monkeypox reagent of Shengxiang can be detected in the fastest 8 minutes on the POCT instrument, and the conventional PCR instrument can complete the detection of 96 samples within 30 minutes.

At present, the company is actively promoting the overseas registration of this product.

  In addition, the official website of Shuoshi Biology shows that the company has a monkeypox virus nucleic acid detection kit (fluorescent PCR method), the product number is JC70115, but this product has not obtained a registration certificate; Daan Gene also said on the interactive platform that the company has monkey Poxvirus-related scientific research products are in reserve, but there are currently no relevant certified reagents.

  However, a relevant person in charge of a biopharmaceutical company introduced: "At present, there is no commercial monkeypox detection kit in China, and the companies announced now are all technical reserves, which are supplied to disease control departments or laboratories. For commercial use, there is still a process to go. But if commercial use is required, the process is also very fast.”

  In the A-share market, the "monkeypox concept stocks" changed on Friday.

On May 20, Zhijiang Bio once hit the daily limit, and Daan Gene, *ST Kehua, Shuo Shi Bio and other testing and diagnostic concept stocks also rose sharply.

  Recently, an investor asked Zhijiang Bio on the SSE e-interactive platform: Does the company have a monkeypox virus nucleic acid assay kit (fluorescent PCR method)?

Has the kit passed the EU CE certification?

  On the evening of May 22, according to the official WeChat news of Zhijiang Bio, the existing CE registered product of Zhijiang Bio—Monkeypox Virus Nucleic Acid Assay Kit (Fluorescent PCR Method).

Determination of the gene fragments of monkeypox virus by specific fluorescence method can accurately identify monkeypox virus and help the accurate diagnosis and prevention of related diseases.

The reagent is easy to operate and can be used with Zhijiang Bio AutraMic automatic nucleic acid detection platform to automatically complete the rapid and automatic diagnosis of monkeypox virus.