Exploring the Potential of Muridae as Sentinels for Human and Zoonotic Viruses.

In recent years, the transmission of viruses from wildlife to humans has raised significant public health concerns, exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Human activities play a substantial role in increasing the risk of zoonotic virus transmission from wildlife to humans. Rats and mice are prevalent in urban environments and may act as reservoirs for various pathogens. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of zoonotic viruses in wild rats and mice in both urban and rural areas, focusing on well-known zoonotic viruses such as betacoronavirus, hantavirus, arenavirus, kobuvirus, and monkeypox virus, along with other viruses occasionally detected in rats and mice, including rotavirus, norovirus, and astrovirus, which are known to infect humans at a high rate. A total of 128 animals were captured, including 70 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), 45 black rats (Rattus rattus), and 13 house mice (Mus musculus), and feces, lung, and liver were collected. Among brown rats, one fecal sample tested positive for astrovirus RNA. Nucleotide sequencing revealed high sequence similarity to both human and rat astrovirus, suggesting co-presence of these viruses in the feces. Murine kobuvirus (MuKV) was detected in fecal samples from both black (n = 7) and brown (n = 6) rats, primarily from urban areas, as confirmed by sequence analysis. These findings highlight the importance of surveillance and research to understand and mitigate the risks associated with the potential transmission of pathogens by rodents.

Sosuga Virus Detected in Egyptian Rousette Bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) in Sierra Leone.

Sosuga virus (SOSV), a rare human pathogenic paramyxovirus, was first discovered in 2012 when a person became ill after working in South Sudan and Uganda. During an ecological investigation, several species of bats were sampled and tested for SOSV RNA and only one species, the Egyptian rousette bat (ERBs; Rousettus aegyptiacus), tested positive. Since that time, multiple other species have been sampled and ERBs in Uganda have continued to be the only species of bat positive for SOSV infection. Subsequent studies of ERBs with SOSV demonstrated that ERBs are a competent host for SOSV and shed this infectious virus while exhibiting only minor infection-associated pathology. Following the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, surveillance efforts focused on discovering reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens resulted in the capture and testing of many bat species. Here, SOSV RNA was detected by qRT-PCR only in ERBs captured in the Moyamba District of Sierra Leone in the central region of the country. These findings represent a substantial range extension from East Africa to West Africa for SOSV, suggesting that this paramyxovirus may occur in ERB populations throughout its sub-Saharan African range.

Evolution of influenza A viruses in exhibition swine and transmission to humans, 2013-2015.

AIMS: Swine are a mixing vessel for the emergence of novel reassortant influenza A viruses (IAV). Interspecies transmission of swine-origin IAV poses a public health and pandemic risk. In the United States, the majority of zoonotic IAV transmission events have occurred in association with swine exposure at agricultural fairs. Accordingly, this human-animal interface necessitates mitigation strategies informed by understanding of interspecies transmission mechanisms in exhibition swine. Likewise, the diversity of IAV in swine can be a source for novel reassortant or mutated viruses that pose a risk to both swine and human health. METHODS AND RESULTS: In an effort to better understand those risks, here we investigated the epidemiology of IAV in exhibition swine and subsequent transmission to humans by performing phylogenetic analyses using full genome sequences from 272 IAV isolates collected from exhibition swine and 23 A(H3N2)v viruses from human hosts during 2013-2015. Sixty-seven fairs (24.2%) had at least one pig test positive for IAV with an overall estimated prevalence of 8.9% (95% CI: 8.3-9.6, Clopper-Pearson). Of the 19 genotypes found in swine, 5 were also identified in humans. There was a positive correlation between the number of human cases of a genotype and its prevalence in exhibition swine. Additionally, we demonstrated that A(H3N2)v viruses clustered tightly with exhibition swine viruses that were prevalent in the same year. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that multiple genotypes of swine-lineage IAV have infected humans, and highly prevalent IAV genotypes in exhibition swine during a given year are also the strains detected most frequently in human cases of variant IAV. Continued surveillance and rapid characterization of IAVs in exhibition swine can facilitate timely phenotypic evaluation and matching of candidate vaccine strains to those viruses present at the human-animal interface which are most likely to spillover into humans.

[Monkeypox: case series]. / Viruela símica: serie de casos

Introduction: the recent mpox outbreak was considered an international public health emergency. Objective: describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of mpox in a hospital in the province of Buenos Aires. Methods: case series study in patients ≥15 years of age in the Dermatology service of the Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos "San Martín" in La Plata between August and November 2022. Results: 10 patients were included. The mean age of presentation was 35 years. Seven of the patients were men and the remaining three were women. Most of them presented risky sexual intercourse as an epidemiological history. Pseudopustules were observed in 70% of the patients and all had genital, gluteal or perianal lesions. The complications observed were: local edema, proctitis, conjunctivitis and pharyngitis. Conclusion: we present 3 female patients out of a total of 24 women reported in the country, which represent only 2% of mpox infections in Argentina. In most cases we observe pseudopustules, an elementary lesion recently described for this entity. One patient presented ocular involvement, a complication reported in 1% of cases in the current outbreak.

Introducción: el brote reciente de mpox fue considerado una emergencia de salud pública internacional. Objetivo: describir las características epidemiológicas y clínicas de mpox en un hospital de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Métodos: estudio de serie de casos en pacientes ≥ 15 años en el servicio de Dermatología del Hospital Interzonal General de Agudos "San Martín" de La Plata entre agosto y noviembre del año 2022. Resultados: se incluyeron 10 pacientes. La edad media de presentación fue 35 años. Siete de los pacientes eran hombres y las tres restantes fueron mujeres. La mayoría de ellos presentó relación sexual de riesgo como antecedente epidemiológico. En el 70% de los pacientes se observaron pseudopústulas y todos tuvieron lesiones a nivel genital, glútea o perianal. Las complicaciones observadas fueron: edema local, proctitis, conjuntivis y faringitis. Conclusión: presentamos 3 pacientes de sexo femenino del total de 24 mujeres reportadas en el país, que representan sólo el 2% de las infecciones por mpox en Argentina. En la mayoría de los casos observamos pseudopústulas, lesión elemental descripta recientemente para esta entidad. Un paciente presentó compromiso ocular, complicación informada en un 1% de los casos en el brote actual.

The abstraction of potentially zoonotic SARS-like coronavirus (BtSY2): A threat to global health.

This article highlights the discovery of a new virus lurking in bats in Yunnan province of China. The virus shows phylogenetic and genomic similarity to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which was the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus, named Bat SARS-like virus BtSY2, along with four other viruses, has been named a "virus of concern." Recombination events in the viral genome due to coinfection by multiple viruses in related animal hosts can lead to disease emergence, a process that has repeated itself innumerable times throughout history and has given rise to some major viral pandemics. Zoonotic infections, if not contained at the right time, can cause significant harm to the public health sector as well as the global economy. Studies like this are required to acquire a good understanding of the phylogeny of the virus, mechanisms of its transmission, carriers, probable clinical picture, and similarity to previous outbreaks. This will help to devise preventive strategies and, in case of higher probability and hazardous potential of the disease, develop prototype vaccines and drugs to face the outbreak with adequate preparedness.

Emerging Rhabdoviruses and Human Infection.

Rhabdoviridae is a large viral family, with members infecting a diverse range of hosts including, vertebrate species, arthropods, and plants. The predominant human pathogen within the family is Rabies lyssavirus, the main cause of human rabies. While rabies is itself a neglected disease, there are other, less well studied, rhabdoviruses known to cause human infection. The increasing application of next-generation sequencing technology to clinical samples has led to the detection of several novel or rarely detected rhabdoviruses associated with febrile illness. Many of these viruses have been detected in low- and middle-income countries where the extent of human infection and the burden of disease remain largely unquantified. This review describes the rhabdoviruses other than Rabies lyssavirus that have been associated with human infection. The discovery of the Bas Congo virus and Ekpoma virus is discussed, as is the re-emergence of species such as Le Dantec virus, which has recently been detected in Africa 40 years after its initial isolation. Chandipura virus and the lyssaviruses that are known to cause human rabies are also described. Given their association with human disease, the viruses described in this review should be prioritised for further study.

Possible Transmission of Severe Fever with the Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus to an Individual Who Buried an Infected Cat.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is caused by the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). Although SFTS is a fatal tick-borne zoonosis, it can infect humans without tick bite exposure. Recently, direct transmission of SFTSV from companion pets to humans has become a major problem. We present a case of SFTSV transmission from a dead community cat to a woman who buried the cat in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. The community cat died without a diagnosis of SFTS, and the woman buried it without taking any precautions. She developed symptoms of SFTS 9 days later. The woman tested positive for SFTS viral RNA and anti-SFTSV antibodies. The cat's carcass was exhumed, and tissue samples were collected to confirm the viral infection. Numerous copies of viral RNA were detected. The SFTSV M segment sequences in the cat and the woman were 100% homologous. The woman claimed that she had touched blood that had leaked from the cat's body while burying it. However, she could have been infected while transporting the cat to the animal hospital. This study highlights the risk of SFTSV infection from contact with sick or dead community cats.

Domestic Animals as Potential Reservoirs of Zoonotic Viral Diseases.

Zoonoses are diseases and infections naturally transmitted between humans and vertebrate animals. Over the years, zoonoses have become increasingly significant threats to global health. They form the dominant group of diseases among the emerging infectious diseases (EID) and currently account for 73% of EID. Approximately 25% of zoonoses originate in domestic animals. The etiological agents of zoonoses include different pathogens, with viruses accounting for approximately 30% of all zoonotic infections. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted directly or indirectly, by contact, via aerosols, through a vector, or vertically in utero. Zoonotic diseases are found in every continent except Antarctica. Numerous factors associated with the pathogen, human activities, and the environment play significant roles in the transmission and emergence of zoonotic diseases. Effective response and control of zoonotic diseases call for multiple-sector involvement and collaboration according to the One Health concept.

Risk profile and mode of transmission of Mpox: A rapid review and individual patient data meta-analysis of case studies.

Since May 2022, an outbreak of Mpox in non-endemic countries has become a potential public health threat. The objective of this rapid review was to examine the risk profile and modes of transmission of Mpox. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception through July 30 to collect case reports/series on patients with Mpox infection. For meta-analysis, data on the total number of participants and deaths by binary categories of exposure (age, sex, country, other co-infections or existing conditions, and mode of contagion) were used. A total of 62 studies (4659 cases) were included. Most cases came from Africa (84.3%), followed by Europe (13.9%). In 63.6% of the cases, the mode of contagion was human contact, while 22.8% of the cases were by animal contact, and 13.5% were unknown or not reported. The mortality rate was 6.5% throughout these studies. The risk of mortality was higher in the younger age group (risk difference: 0.19; 95% CI: 0.02-0.36), in cases with other co-infections or current chronic conditions (risk difference: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01-0.05) and in the category of low- and middle-income countries (risk difference: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.05-0.08). There were no significant differences with respect to sex or mode of contagion. These results help to understand the major infection pathways and mortality risk profiles of Mpox and underscores the importance of preventing outbreaks in specific settings, especially in settings densely populated by children, such as day care centres and schools.

Características e diagnóstico laboratorial das infecções causadas pelo hantavírus: revisão integrativa / Characteristics and laboratory diagnosis of infections caused by hantavirus: integrative review

A hantavirose é uma zoonose de distribuição mundial que utiliza como vetores roedores, musaranhos, toupeiras e morcegos. Os sintomas da infecção pelo hantavírus assemelham-se aos de diversas doenças, por isso o diagnóstico laboratorial é crucial para o tratamento precoce. Objetivo: Realizar uma revisão da literatura sobre as características e diagnóstico laboratorial da hantavirose. Métodos: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa da literatura com base no modelo PRISMA, com seleção de estudos nas bases de dados Portal de Periódicos da Capes, PubMed/Medline, SciELO, ScienceDirect e Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS). Foram empregados os descritores: hantavírus, diagnóstico laboratorial, exames e zoonose, em português e inglês, no período de 2015 a 2022, sendo selecionados 19 artigos científicos em atendimento aos critérios de inclusão. Resultados e Discussão: Diversas técnicas diagnósticas podem ser empregadas em casos de hantavirose, sendo a biologia molecular a mais empregada, conjuntamente com a imunologia. Há outros recursos utilizados para monitoramento e evolução da doença, como a bioquímica, a hematologia e a imagenologia. Para a ocorrência de hantavirose é necessário um ambiente propício, clima específico e contato com hospedeiro suscetível, podendo evoluir para quadros assintomáticos ou sintomáticos com complicações graves. Conclusão: O diagnóstico dessa doença é desafiador e requer investigação detalhada que inclua a sintomatologia do paciente, o histórico de exposição a animais reservatórios e os resultados de exames laboratoriais. Como desfechos negativos da hantavirose incluem-se a febre hemorrágica com síndrome renal, a síndrome pulmonar por hantavírus e o óbito

Hantavirus is a worldwide distributed zoonosis that uses rodents, shrews, moles and bats as vectors. The symptoms of hantavirus infection resemble those of many diseases, so laboratory diagnosis is crucial for early treatment. Objective: The present study aimed to conduct a literature review on the characteristics and laboratory diagnosis of hantavirus. Methods: This is an integrative literature review based on the PRISMA model, with a selection of studies in the Capes Portal de Periódicos, PubMed/Medline, SciELO, ScienceDirect and Virtual Health Library databases, using the descriptors: hantavirus, laboratory diagnosis, exams, and zoonosis, in portuguese and english, from 2015 to 2022, and nineteen scientific articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected. Results and Discussion: Several techniques can be used in cases of hantavirus, with molecular biology being the most evidenced along with immunology. There are other parameters that are used for monitoring and evolution of the disease, such as biochemistry, hematology, and imaging. For the hantavirus disease, an adequate environment, specific climate and contact with a susceptible host are necessary, which may lead to asymptomatic conditions or symptoms with more serious complications. Conclusion: The diagnosis of this disease is challenging and requires detailed investigation that includes the patient's symptoms, the history of exposure to reservoir animals and the results of laboratory tests. Negative outcomes of hantavirus infection include hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and death

Severe Human Case of Zoonotic Infection with Swine-Origin Influenza A Virus, Denmark, 2021.

During routine surveillance at the National Influenza Center, Denmark, we detected a zoonotic swine influenza A virus in a patient who became severely ill. We describe the clinical picture and the genetic characterization of this variant virus, which is distinct from another variant found previously in Denmark.

Shortening Duration of Swine Exhibitions to Reduce Risk for Zoonotic Transmission of Influenza A Virus.

Reducing zoonotic influenza A virus (IAV) risk in the United States necessitates mitigation of IAV in exhibition swine. We evaluated the effectiveness of shortening swine exhibitions to <72 hours to reduce IAV risk. We longitudinally sampled every pig daily for the full duration of 16 county fairs during 2014-2015 (39,768 nasal wipes from 6,768 pigs). In addition, we estimated IAV prevalence at 195 fairs during 2018-2019 to test the hypothesis that <72-hour swine exhibitions would have lower IAV prevalence. In both studies, we found that shortening duration drastically reduces IAV prevalence in exhibition swine at county fairs. Reduction of viral load in the barn within a county fair is critical to reduce the risk for interspecies IAV transmission and pandemic potential. Therefore, we encourage fair organizers to shorten swine shows to protect the health of both animals and humans.

Monitoring Urban Zoonotic Virus Activity: Are City Rats a Promising Surveillance Tool for Emerging Viruses?

Urban environments represent unique ecosystems where dense human populations may come into contact with wildlife species, some of which are established or potential reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens that cause human diseases. Finding practical ways to monitor the presence and/or abundance of zoonotic pathogens is important to estimate the risk of spillover to humans in cities. As brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are ubiquitous in urban habitats, and are hosts of several zoonotic viruses, we conducted longitudinal sampling of brown rats in Vienna, Austria, a large population center in Central Europe. We investigated rat tissues for the presence of several zoonotic viruses, including flaviviruses, hantaviruses, coronaviruses, poxviruses, hepatitis E virus, encephalomyocarditis virus, and influenza A virus. Although we found no evidence of active infections (all were negative for viral nucleic acids) among 96 rats captured between 2016 and 2018, our study supports the findings of others, suggesting that monitoring urban rats may be an efficient way to estimate the activity of zoonotic viruses in urban environments.

Categorization by Score of Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae) Related to Yellow Fever Epizootics in Argentina.

The mosquito-borne yellow fever virus (YFV) is the cause of a zoonotic disease, with both sylvatic and urban cycles. Some mosquito species have been associated directly with transmission of the virus in South America, although the importance given to each species varies depending on the bibliography, geographical location, or year of publication. For Argentina, few publications have assessed the involvement of mosquito species, especially those included in the sylvatic cycle. Therefore, the goal of our paper was to gather all the information available in South America and categorize all mosquito species potentially involved in the YFV transmission cycle in Argentina according to incriminating vector criteria. Based on three main characteristics ('Hosts', 'Mosquito vector', and 'YF outbreak'), we generated scales of importance by species, one exclusively for Argentina and another for all of South America, Sabethes albiprivus Theobald, 1903 was the most important species in Argentina; whereas the most important species in South America were Haemagogus janthinomys Dyar 1921, Hg. leucocelaenus Dyar and Shannon, 1924, and Sa. chloropterus Von Humboldt, 1819. Our review highlights the lack of research that evaluates the importance of these species for YFV transmission in Argentina, while serving as a starting point to establish priorities for research on the bionomics and vector status of these species.

Novel Reassortant Avian Influenza A(H5N6) Virus, China, 2021.

Although reports of human infection with influenza A(H5N6) increased in 2021, reports of similar H5N6 virus infection in poultry are few. We detected 10 avian influenza A(H5N6) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses in poultry from 4 provinces in China. The viruses showed strong immune-escape capacity and complex genetic reassortment, suggesting further transmission risk.

Isolation of 15 hepatitis E virus strains lacking ORF1 rearrangements from wild boar and pig organ samples and efficient replication in cell culture.

As a zoonotic pathogen, the hepatitis E virus (HEV) leads to numerous infections in humans with different clinical manifestations. Especially genotype 3, as causative agent of a foodborne zoonosis, is transmitted to humans by ingestion of undercooked or raw meat containing liver from HEV-infected animals. Although the virus' prevalence and dissemination in hosts like wild boar and pig have been well characterized, HEV is greatly understudied on a molecular level and reliable cell culture models are lacking. For this reason, the present study concentrated on the isolation and subsequent characterization of porcine HEV from tissue samples derived from wild boar and domestic pigs: 222 wild boars hunted in Northern Germany were investigated for the presence of HEV RNA with a detection rate of 5.9%. Three additional HEV-positive wild boar liver samples as well as an HEV-positive spleen and a positive kidney from domestic pigs were included. After inoculation of positive samples onto the human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5, cells were grown for several weeks. Successful isolation was confirmed by RT-qPCR, virus passage, immunofluorescence staining and titration. Overall, 15 strains from a total of 18 RNA-positive organ samples could be obtained and viral loads >109  RNA copies/ml were measured in cell culture supernatants. Accordingly, 83.3% of the HEV RNA-positive samples contained infectious hepatitis E viral particles and therefore must be considered as a potential source for human infections. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all isolated strains belong to genotype 3. Further genetic characterization showed a high degree of sequence variability, but no sequence insertions, in the hypervariable region within the open reading frame 1.

Hotspots in a cold land-reported cases of rabies in wildlife and livestock in Mongolia from 2012-2018.

The epidemiological profile of rabies virus within Mongolia remains poorly characterized despite 21,302 domestic animal cases being reported between 1970-2005. This lack of knowledge is particularly concerning given that roughly 26% of the population lives a pastoral herding lifestyle and livestock production contributes up to 18% of Mongolia's total gross domestic product (GDP). The gaps in knowledge of the rabies disease ecology within Mongolia combined with the lack of routine vaccination of domestic animals and wildlife poses a significant threat to the more than 60 million heads of livestock within Mongolia. Animal rabies case data from the General Authority for Veterinary Services and National Center for Zoonotic Diseases were used in this study. Each data point included year of report, an animal descriptor, geographic coordinates and the aimag (province) of origin. A total of 2,359 animal rabies cases were reported between 2012-2018. Cattle were the most commonly reported animal overall (861 cases), followed by goats (268), sheep (251) and dogs (221) within the domestic animal category. Red foxes were responsible for most reported wildlife cases (317) followed by wolves (151). Most rabid animals were reported in the Khuvsgul, Uvurkhangai and Govi-Altai aimags, and a positive correlation was found between livestock numbers per soum and the number of rabies cases reported. Rabies poses a significant threat to the Mongolian economy and the health of human and animal populations within Mongolia. The close association of the nomadic pastoralists with both domestic animals and wildlife represents a significant threat for disease emergence and necessitates studies that describe the ecology of rabies, which may threaten these populations.

Unrecognized diversity of mammalian orthoreoviruses in North American bats.

Bats have recently been identified as potential reservoir hosts for mammalian orthoreoviruses (MRVs) throughout Europe and China. Here we present the first evolutionary and biological characterization of bat-borne MRVs in North America, including phylogenomic analysis, in vitro relative infectivity in bat and other mammalian cell cultures, host cell receptor specificity, and epifluorescence microscopy of viral factory formation. Through genetic and phylogenetic comparisons, we show that two divergent MRV serotype 2 (T2) strains - isolated from a silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) and a big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) from Pennsylvania, USA - provide an evolutionary link to an MRV strain (T2W) recovered from an 8-week-old infant who died in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1997. Although these findings suggest North American bats may represent a previously unrecognized source for the cross-species transmission of MRVs to other animals, including humans, the ecology and epidemiology of MRVs in wildlife remain enigmatic.

Viruela del simio: Preocupación por una zoonosis emergente / Monkeypox: Concern about an emerging zoonosis

Introducción: La viruela del simio es una enfermedad zoonótica viral, causada por el poxvirus del mismo nombre; endémica de África central y occidental. Sin embargo, su presencia se ha incrementado en otras regiones del mundo durante la última década en comparación con los 40 años anteriores. Objetivo. Describir y actualizar las características etiológicas, epidemiológicas y clínicas de la viruela del simio, así como discutir el potencial riesgo de diseminación internacional. Material y Métodos. Se realizó una revisión de literatura publicada en los últimos cinco años, utilizando los descriptores Medical Subject Headings. La búsqueda se hizo en las bases de datos MEDLINE / PubMed y LILACS, sin restricciones de idioma. Se excluyeron los estudios duplicados y aquellos que no se ajustaban al objetivo de la investigación, seleccionando 47 artículos. Resultados. El virus de la viruela del simio está emparentado con el de la viruela humana (erradicada en 1979). Se transmite desde un individuo enfermo mediante gotitas de fluido respiratorio, contacto con material de lesión cutánea y fluidos corporales; o mediante fómites contaminados. Después de 6 a 13 días de incubación aparecen los síntomas, semejantes al de la viruela humana: comenzando con un proceso febril agudo y seguido de erupción cutánea en rostro y cuerpo, que cura dejando cicatrices visibles. Conclusiones. Este virus puede ocupar el nicho ecológico dejado por el virus de la viruela humana. Actualmente se ha expandido a Europa y América, por lo que ya no debe considerarse una enfermedad limitada al África, sino una amenaza sanitaria para la salud pública global.

background:Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the poxvirus of the same name, endemic to central and western Africa. However, its presence has increased in other regions of the world during the last decade compared to the previous 40 years.To describe and update the etiologic, Objective.epidemiologic, and clinical features of simian pox, as well as to discuss the potential risk of international spread. . Areview of Material and Methods literature published in the last five years was performed using the descriptors Medical Subject Headings. The search was performed in the MEDLINE/PubMed and LILACS data bases, without language restrictions. Duplicate studies and those that did not fit the research objective were excluded, selecting 47 articles. Results.Simian smallpox virus is related to human smallpox virus (eradicated in 1979). It is transmitted from a sick individual by respiratory fluid droplets, contact with skin lesion material and body fluids; or by contaminated fomites. After 6 to 13 days of incubation, symptoms appear, similar to those of human smallpox: beginning with an acute febrile process and followed by a cutaneous eruption on the face and body, which heals leaving visible scars. This virus may occupy the Conclusions.ecological niche left by the smallpox virus. It has now spread to Europe and America, so it should no longer be considered a disease limited to Africa, but a health threat to global public health