TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) declares MPOX a public health emergency of international concern, the Global Virus Network (GVN), headquartered at the University of South Florida (USF), USA, swiftly orchestrated an international response to combat the rising threat. The GVN's MPOX Action Committee, formed in 2022, is led by world experts spanning basic research, epidemiology, clinical research, and vaccines. In the past several weeks, the GVN has rapidly mobilized essential resources, launched critical evaluations of diagnostic tools, and provided strategic support to the most affected regions.

Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, GVN President and President Emeritus of Yale University, USA, said, 'MPOX is a reemerging disease whose magnitude is rising at an alarming rate among general populations in Africa. Furthermore, it has shown potential for sexually associated transmission worldwide. The GVN MPOX Action Committee is working with the WHO and international partners to craft an evidence-based response and further research agenda.”

Since last week's announcement that MPOX was reported in countries never previously identified with cases, the GVN partnered with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and multiple African institutions through its members to assess point-of-care (POC) tests for MPOX, ensuring these diagnostics are accurate, accessible, and deployable in various environments.

Emma Thomson, PhD, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Associate Director, Medical Research Council-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UK, a GVN Center of Excellence, added, 'GVN’s coordinated response exemplifies the power of global collaboration in a public health crisis. We are proud to be part of a network that is helping to set priorities and making a real difference in the fight against MPOX. We look forward to working with the GVN, WHO, and other partners to mitigate this viral outbreak.'

The GVN's MPOX Action Committee is co-led by Rachel Roper, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at East Carolina University, USA, who expressed deep concern: 'The MPOX virus appears to be evolving for more efficient human transmission, which is alarming. With 17,000 reported cases and the unprecedented spread of MPOX Clade Ib from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries, there is a clear need for heightened and continuous surveillance. We have vaccines that mitigate illness and death, but there is an urgent need for improved vaccines with better safety and efficacy.'

Dr. Roper further emphasized the importance of therapeutics, stating, 'We do have antibodies and treatments that offer some protection, but these viruses have already demonstrated the ability to rapidly develop resistance. It's critical that we expand the arsenal of therapeutic agents.'

In addition to forming an MPOX Action Committee two years ago comprised of top experts, GVN's proactive measures include the deployment of 1,000 newly developed MPOX rapid tests several weeks ago to its members across Africa for immediate side-by-side evaluation. The network is also distributing new rapid test platforms for loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays to strategic locations, aiming to foster the development of diagnostics that can be efficiently implemented in resource-limited settings. Further, since 2022, GVN members published more than 70 scientific papers advancing MPOX research.

Laurens Liesenborghs, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist and researcher at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium, under the lead of Placide Mbala-Kingebeni, MD, PhD, Director of the Virology Division at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with others, was the first to investigate and sequence the newly identified MPOX Clade Ib variant.  Dr. Liesenborghs said, 'Our team remains on-site, dedicated to conducting research, and supporting surveillance and patient care. Together, we continue to combat this evolving threat and ensure the health and safety of the affected communities. Support from the GVN, which we are receiving, and other partners, is needed to address this public health crisis swiftly.'  Drs. Liesenborghs and Mbala-Kingebeni are members of the GVN MPOX Action Committee.

Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, Program Director at GVN and virologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, a GVN Center of Excellence, said, “The ongoing challenges with MPOX underscore the urgent need for comprehensive global surveillance and targeted response strategies. By closely collaborating with WHO and other international partners, we ensure that our efforts are aligned and that our scientific contributions directly address the pressing challenges on the ground.”

MPOX has been detected in 13 nations this year including previously unaffected nations such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. In 2024, thus far, The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports that these countries have confirmed 2,863 cases and 517 deaths and growing, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Suspected cases across the continent have surged past 17,000, a significant increase from 7,146 cases in 2022 and 14,957 cases in 2023. Officials at the Africa CDC said nearly 70% of cases in Congo are in children younger than 15, who also accounted for 85% of deaths.

GVN plays a crucial role in facilitating direct communication between its experts, WHO officials, and other international partners. Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, Vice Chairman of the GVN Board of Directors, GVN President Emeritus and Senior Associate Dean for Research in Global Affairs at University of South Florida Health’s Morsani College of Medicine, USA, highlighted the importance of the collaboration: “GVN’s role to enhance global efforts is critical in identifying research gaps and facilitating action to fill those gaps. GVN is uniquely prepared to quickly engage our members and provide expertise and on-the-ground support to mitigate the growing MPOX threat. We are pleased to catalyze and facilitate alliances to prepare and protect humankind from viral threats.”

GVN’s Viral Detection and Control Action Committee will convene a critical meeting on August 22 at 11 AM EDT | 5 PM CET, with WHO’s MPOX Task Force lead, Lorenzo Subissi, PhD, who will provide updates and garner support from GVN experts.

About the Global Virus Network (GVN)
The GVN is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense, and first research response to emerging, existing, and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health. Working in close coordination with established national and international institutions, the GVN is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 80+ Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in 40+ countries, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues, and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org.

For more information or to join GVN’s efforts, please contact Linman Li at Linmanli@gvn.org.