Smallpox: Viable virus particles obtained from scabs after 13 years
Viable smallpox virus particles were obtained from scabs collected 13 years previously and kept in a storage cupboard.
“Dry scabs were not ground as this was found to cause a fine dust that could be smelled outside the inoculation cabinet. Indeed, merely opening the envelopes to take out the scabs (inside the cabinet) gave rise to a typical dusty smell in the laboratory.”
The Survival of Smallpox Virus (Variola Minor) in Natural Circumstances
Link to study (pdf dowwnload)
Note: Monkeypox is caused by a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, is also in this genus.
** This post was originally published on August 7, 2022 **
