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Many experts agree that smallpox and, to a lesser degree, monkeypox represent
two of the most significant bioterrorism agents facing the U.S. today. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/index.asp Smallpox
has a high mortality rate (~30%), high transmissibility, and was weaponized
by the former Soviet Union. Monkeypox on the other hand, transmits poorly
from person-to-person and has a lower mortality rate but is easily obtained
from
nature/animal reservoirs and could be genetically modified for higher virulence.
The 2003 U.S. monkeypox outbreak, the first outbreak of a virulent orthopoxvirus
in the U.S. since 1949, provided a real-life assessment of our ability to
detect and respond to a potential bioterrorism threat involving a pathogen
of this
caliber. Following hospitalization of the first monkeypox victim, approximately
two weeks elapsed before the outbreak was identified by local health officials
and the CDC (1). If the monkeypox outbreak had actually been smallpox, the
outcome might have been very different, with secondary infections and further
spread
and deaths likely to have occurred during the prolonged period needed to
identify the outbreak.
In another real-world example, recent natural disasters in the United States such as hurricane Katrina have vividly demonstrated how a centralized plan for response can break down amid the lack of communication and confusion following a natural disaster. In the event of a bioterrorism attack with smallpox or monkeypox it would be highly desirable for first responders to diagnose infection immediately without the need for transporting samples to a centralized testing facility. This ability for rapid, point-of-care diagnosis would maximize the chance for successful containment of the outbreak. Najít Technologies is dedicated to developing rapid, field-useable diagnostic assays for smallpox and monkeypox to address this critical need.
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