According to a study published in the British medical journal Lancet, certain antiviral drugs may have the ability to lessen the time a patient is contagious and shorten the symptoms of monkeypox.

Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that is designated as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) by the UK Health Security Agency. It is closely related to the smallpox virus. Monkeypox has no approved therapies, and there is little information on how long it is contagious, with an incubation period varying from five to 21 days. Monkeypox virus was also found in blood and throat swabs, according to the researchers.

Researchers evaluated the effect of antiviral drugs brincidofovir and tecovirimat (used to treat smallpox) on patients. No significant therapeutic benefit was found with the brincidofovir, although it did indicate that more research into the potential of tecovirimat was needed. However, the authors of the report stated that more research into antivirals to treat this neglected tropical disease was necessary.

(ETHealthworld, May 25, 2022)