Abstract
An ideal animal model for the study of a human disease is one which utilizes a route of infection that mimics the natural transmission of the pathogen; the ability to obtain disease with an infectious dose equivalent to that causing disease in humans; as well having a disease course, morbidity and mortality similar to that seen with human disease. Additionally, the animal model should have a mode(s) of transmission that mimics human cases. The development of small animal models for the study of monkeypox virus (MPXV) has been quite extensive for the relatively short period of time this pathogen has been known, although only a few of these models have been used to study anti-poxvirus agents. We will review those MPXV small animal models that have been developed thus far for the study of therapeutic agents.
Highlights
An ideal animal model for the study of a human disease is one which utilizes a route of infection that mimics the natural transmission of the pathogen; the ability to obtain disease with an infectious dose equivalent to that causing disease in humans; as well having a disease course, morbidity and mortality similar to that seen with human disease
Even if all aspects of an animal model of disease are not completely faithful to what is known of human disease, important information regarding therapeutic efficacy can be gleaned from their use in ―pre-clinical‖ studies
The clinical time course of disease in the prairie dog model, has a temporal relationship that is close to what has been described with human systemic orthopoxvirus disease
Summary
An ideal animal model for the study of a human disease is one which utilizes a route of infection that mimics the natural transmission of the pathogen; the ability to obtain disease with an infectious dose equivalent to that causing disease in humans; as well having a disease course, morbidity and mortality similar to that seen with human disease. Tesh et al challenged adult ground squirrels with the West African MPXV clade either IP or IN with 105.1 pfu [11] In both groups, symptoms of disease included anorexia and lethargy within 4–5 days of infection, with no other observable symptoms. When the West African strain of MPXV was used to challenge dormice by an IN infection, similar days until death and mortality rates were seen as the Congo Basin MPXV challenged animals. Localized signs in the FP challenged animals included edema at the inoculation site, while the Congo Basin IN route of infection led to weight loss. Animals challenged with the highest dosages by an IN route (105 or 106 pfu Congo Basin MPXV) lost up to 28% of the starting body weight and 100% died between days 5–8. Lower dosages of West African MPXV resulted in less weight loss and lower amounts of death than what was observed for the Congo Basin MPXV; the calculated LD50 was 7,600 pfu, more than a log higher than for the Congo Basin clade
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