Mpox (Monkeypox)

Primary objective The overall objective is to assess the long-term amplitude and durability of the immune responses after mpox virus (MPXV) infection. Primary endpoint The main outcomes are: the presence of neutralizing antibodies in the serum and the presence of detectable mpox virus-specific memory B cells. Neutralizing antibodies titers will be measured with a semi-automated cell-based assay using live mpox virus. Memory B cells will be measured by flow cytometry and other techniques. Secondary objectives 1. Assess the amplitude and the stability of the MPXV antigen-specific B-cell memory response after infection, against the immunodominant antigens A27, A33, B5, L1, D8, and H3. 2. Assess the breadth of the B-cell repertoire and its neutralizing capacity in a subset of patients 3. Assess the humoral immunity using different serological techniques, for the detection and quantification of anti-MPXV antibodies, and assess the seroneutralization capacities of each antibody. Secondary endpoints 1. The presence of MPXV antigen-specific B-cell memory. Memory B cells will be measured by flow cytometry and other techniques. 2. The breadth and neutralizing capacity of the B-cell repertoire in a subset of patients. 3. The humoral immunity using serological techniques.

This study has three primary objectives to address the public health challenges of the Mpox outbreak in Guinea, West Africa. Objective 1 (MOVIE-West Africa) focuses on understanding the kinetics of Monkeypox virus (MPXV) elimination from the human body in Mpox cases. Objective 2 (TRACE-West Africa) aims to determine the MPXV transmission dynamics between Mpox cases and their contacts. Objective 3 (VE-West Africa) examines the vaccine effectiveness of the MVA-BN vaccine in protection against MPXV infection and Mpox disease.

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study which aims to assess the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity after one and two doses of BNT166a or placebo in healthy participants.

This is a health facility-based prospective test-negative (TND) case-control study to evaluate vaccine effectiveness and active safety monitoring (cohort event monitoring), and passive surveillance for evaluation of the safety of the LC16m8 mpox vaccine in individuals aged one year and older in the DRC. This study aims to assess the LC16m8 vaccine effectiveness and safety. The following activities will be carried out: * Community engagement * Enhanced health facility-based mpox disease surveillance * Vaccination using the LC16m8 vaccine * Safety monitoring following immunization * LC16m8 Vaccine effectiveness evaluation using a TND Study Hypothesis: The LC16m8 vaccine, administered as pre-exposure prophylaxis, confers greater than 70% protection against symptomatic mpox disease among adults and children in the DRC.

Monkeypox, caused by a virus in the Orthopoxvirus genus, is a zoonotic disease first identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This infection, primarily present in Central and West Africa, has an incubation period of 6 to 21 days and initially presents with fever, headaches, muscle pain, and swollen lymph nodes. This is followed by a skin rash that evolves over 2 to 3 weeks. Lesions can spread from the face to the hands, feet, and mucous membranes, with a centrifugal distribution pattern. Diagnosis is performed using PCR, based on samples taken from lesions or cutaneous exudates, although oropharyngeal swabs may be required if skin lesions are absent. Since May 2022, a resurgence of cases has been observed in North America, Europe, and Africa, including the DRC. As of March 2024, 94,270 cases and 178 deaths have been reported. Although less lethal than smallpox, with a mortality rate of 1% to 10% depending on the region, monkeypox remains a health threat, especially for young children and immunocompromised individuals. In response, the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA) and NG Biotech have developed the NG-TestⓇ Monkeypox virus rapid diagnostic test to facilitate detection. This antigenic immunochromatographic test, based on clinical samples, offers an alternative to PCR, providing rapid results without the need for costly equipment or specialized expertise. Its validation is underway for CE marking, enabling a swift response to potential health crises. Preclinical trials have confirmed that this test detects the Mpox virus with a detection limit of 1.10⁴ pfu/mL and shows no cross-reaction with other common organisms. This clinical performance study aims to determine the effectiveness of this device using prospectively collected clinical samples. The study seeks to validate this rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and support its CE marking. Thus, this test could serve as an alternative to conventional PCR diagnostics, which require several hours to process and necessitate costly specialized equipment and expertise.