EMILIO AGUINALDO COLLEGE

Gov. D. Mangubat Ave., Brgy. Burol Main, City of Dasmariñas, Cavite 4114, Philippines
Tel. Nos. (046) 416-4339/41 www.eac.edu.ph

SCHOOL OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

NAME: Ricafort, Sean Christopher R. DATE: 03/24/2023

SECTION: MMLS 3-2 IMMUNOLOGY-SEROLOGY

ASSIGNMENT #2
MONKEY POX AND COVID-19

INSTRUCTIONS: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. Research regarding the correlation of the increase in Monkey Pox cases and COVID-19.
- Monkey Pox and COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 are both viruses that spreading around the world
with the COVID-19 causes global pandemic in recent years and Monkey Pox cases rises which
occurs in several countries that have not historically reported the disease. Both viruses have
their similarities as well as distinct features which is important implications for disease
transmission and outbreak dynamics. Both Monkey Pox and COVID-19 are zoonotic meaning
they both originated in an animal and transmitted to human. The structure of these viruses
are different as monkey pox have double stranded DNA genome that is encapsulated in a
core containing enzymes. Monkey pox can be transmitted through respiratory secretions but
it is not a respiratory virus. It is primarily spread through direct contact with monkeypox rash,
scabs or body fluids from someone who is infected. It can also be spread congenitally, or by
touching objects and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox. Monkey
pox outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic are fundamentally different in several of ways.
First of all, SARS-CoV-2 was a new virus, meaning it had never been seen before when it first
appeared in late 2019. Due to the lack of immunizations and immunity to the virus, it was
able to spread rapidly around the world. This fire has been fueled (and continues to be
fueled) by the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variations as well as the virus's effective ability
to spread from person to person through the air. Monkeypox is not a recent virus. Scientists
currently know more about MPV than they did at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic
concerning SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, MPV is less effective at spreading between humans
because it spreads primarily through close contact. Although there have been supply chain
issues, vaccines are already available and being given to at-risk groups.
2. Why is the vaccine for Monkey Pox still not available worldwide? State your reasons, explain the
reasons through citing scientific journals, and cite your sources.
- There are several reasons why there are still no available monkey pox vaccine that we can get
worldwide. Although monkey pox has been discovered for several decades, scientist seems to
still lack knowledge about the features and characteristics of monkey pox. The virus also only
affect several thousands of individuals compared to COVID-19 and because of that, they
might not prioritize it since they see this as not very threatening because of low infection
rates. Monkey pox only have high cases in recent months during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since there is still a pandemic today, monkey pox vaccine cannot be produced massively with
the reason being that companies might lack in funds and budget to make this vaccines. There
are 2 alternative vaccines that are being used as of today which are ACAM2000 and Jynneos.
These two licensed vaccines are only made specifically for smallpox which makes it less
effective against monkey pox. There are only limited amount of vaccines are available today
so it is also one of the problem that we encounter. The development of vaccines for monkey

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 EMILIO AGUINALDO COLLEGE
Gov. D. Mangubat Ave., Brgy. Burol Main, City of Dasmariñas, Cavite 4114, Philippines
Tel. Nos. (046) 416-4339/41 www.eac.edu.ph

SCHOOL OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

pox may take a lot of time before it can be available worldwide because of time-consuming
process which involves several research, testing and regulatory approval.
3. Explain, on your own words, the specificity of Monkey Pox antibodies against the antigen and
how it helps the body to recover. Cite scientific explanations through journals and cite your
sources.
- The WHO states that the best diagnostic samples are those taken from pustules or scabbed
lesions that contain dry crust or fluid. Blood samples are not advised because the virus only
stays in the blood briefly while an infection is progressing; lesion biopsies are another option.
- The pustule sample was prepared for transmission electron microscopy and PCR analysis. For
an immunofluorescence experiment, vero cells were infected, and the cytopathic effect was
tracked. Before negative staining with phosphotungstic acid, particles were enhanced for
transmission electron microscopy using a Beckman Airfuge.
- The real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is the preferred laboratory test due to its
accuracy and sensitivity to the virus. This method depends on genetic material being
extracted from a patient sample and then amplified using primers that are specific to the
pathogen. If the virus is in the sample, it will be found after being amplified and will be
discovered, indicating whether the patient is currently infected or not.

REFERENCES:

American Society for Microbiology (2022), Monkeypox vs. COVID-19, Retrieved from:
https://asm.org/Articles/2022/August/Monkeypox-vs-COVID-19

Nurith Aizenman (2022), Is there enough monkeypox vaccine to go around? Maybe yes, more likely no,
Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/08/16/1117658734/the-who-
wants-to-help-low-income-nations-combat-the-monkeypox-outbreak

Gruber, M.F. Current status of monkeypox vaccines. npj Vaccines 7, 94 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-022-00527-4

American Society for Microbiology (2022), Monkeypox: When to Get Tested and What to Do if Exposed,
Retrieved from: https://asm.org/Articles/2022/August/Monkeypox-When-to-Get-Tested-and-
What-to-Do-if-
Exp#:~:text=Polymerase%20Chain%20Reaction&text=Due%20to%20the%20sensitivity%20and,ar
e%20considered%20optimal%20diagnostic%20samples.

Erez N. et al. (2019), Diagnosis of Imported Monkeypox, Israel, 2018., doi: 10.3201/eid2505.190076.,
Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478227/

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