Dados do Trabalho

Título

INVESTIGATION OF VIRAL PERSISTENCE OF MPXV IN DIFFERENT BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS

Introdução

Monkeypox was declared an International Public Health Emergency in June 2022. Little is known about the duration of the period of transmissibility and viral persistence in body fluids, data is needed to implement control measures.

Objetivo (s)

To evaluate the viral persistence of MPXV in different biological fluids.

Material e Métodos

This is a cohort study, in which patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Monkeypox treated at the Hospital das Clínicas of the School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo were included. Samples of skin lesions and genital area, blood, urine, saliva and semen were serially collected until the lesions resolved. Viral DNA was extracted and subjected to MPXV detection by RT-PCR, to measure Cts and verify viral persistence in different fluids. Viral shedding was inferred as a Ct value < 34.

Resultados e Conclusão

Between July 27 and November 29, 2022, 8 individuals were included, all male, with a mean age of 35 years (IQR 29-41, range 23-54). At enrollment, all subjects had skin and genital lesions, with a mean Ct of 22.1 (IQR 19-36, range 14-36), and all 4 body fluid samples were RT-PCR positive. The average Ct values observed in saliva, blood, urine, semen were 29.6(IQR 22-35, range 19-39), 35.2(IQR 33-37, range 33-39), 33(IQR 31-34, range 30-34) and 35(IQR 35-36, range 34-36), respectively. Ct values were progressively increasing until the lesions were resolved. In the last collection, on average, two samples remained positive. Our study suggests that individuals can be potentially transmissible up to 14 days in saliva, 8 in blood, 6 in urine and 5 in semen. We demonstrated that MPXV viral DNA can be detected in body fluids in an average of 46 days, but Ct values <34 were observed until 18 days. Individuals with MPXV could continue transmitting the virus up to 20 days after the appearance of the lesions.

Palavras-chave

Monkeypox, viral persistence, body sites.