Developing world should reap benefits of new monkeypox research, experts urge

As cases of monkeypox in wealthier Western nations spark a flurry of scientific research to combat the outbreak, scientists are urging the world to make sure lower-income nations benefit from the fruits of that labour as well.

More than 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox have beenreported by at least 30 countries outside of Africa, where the virus istypically found, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Scientists are flummoxed as to what is driving the currentcrop of cases - mostly identified in Europe so far - given they arepredominantly not linked to travel to Africa.

Countries in Africa have experienced sporadic monkeypoxoutbreaks since the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970.

In Nigeria, there has been an ongoing outbreak since 2017,which so far has resulted in 600 suspected and nearly 250 confirmed cases,Ifedayo Adetifa, the director general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Controlsaid at a monkeypox briefing convened by the WHO on Thursday.

The biopharmaceutical industry has in recent weeks madecommitments deliver vaccines, treatments and develop more diagnostics toaddress monkeypox as the viral disease spreads in many parts of the developedworld.

"We do have to recognize that this is not a new disease- this is not something that we just learned existed in the world," saidDaniel Bausch, senior director, emerging threats and global health security atFIND, the global alliance for diagnostics.

"We have all this biotech interest now because this ishappening in high income countries. But how do we make sure that...thosescientific gains really get down to the populations that need this moreconsistently in sub Saharan Africa?" he asked.

The commentary comes as concern grows about pathogens thattypically circulate in animals spilling into humans.

Animals and humans are changing their behaviour, includingfood-seeking habits to adjust to rapidly changing weather conditions linked toclimate change, the WHO warned on Wednesday.

This suggests that pathogens that were once generallylimited to certain geographies are more likely to spread further, andpotentially jump back and forth between humans and susceptible animal species.

On Thursday, some health experts raised concerns monkeypoxand other infectious diseases could be transmitted to animals via human medicalwaste.

They cautioned that constant vigilance and globalcooperation was imperative to thwarting the current monkeypox outbreak.

It is important to limit the number of spillover events,said William Karesh, president of the World Organisation for Animal Healthworking group on wildlife.

"If we only focus on treatments," he said, "wewill probably be meeting again in two years time about a new disease."