Carolina Mpox Experts Available for Interviews

Carolina Experts Available to Discuss Mpox

Mpox is a viral illness that can cause symptoms like skin rash or lesions accompanied by fever, headache, body aches, low energy and swollen lymph nodes. It's transmitted through physical contact with someone who is infectious, contaminated materials or infected animals. Mpox has become a growing concern and has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization Director.

UNC-Chapel Hill experts are available to discuss mpox, its ability to spread, what to expect of mpox globally and in the United States, vaccinations and therapeutics and more.

Dr. David Weber, MD, MPH is a longstanding expert in mpox and other new and emerging diseases and vaccines. He has served as the Medical Director of the Department of Hospital Epidemiology at UNC Health for over 35 years.

Dr. David Wohl, MD is a professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina. He is a clinical scientist with a focus on emergent infectious diseases. Dr. Wohl is also co-Principal Investigator of the Global UNC Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials Unit.

Dr. William A. Fischer II, MD is the vice chair leading a large international trial of TPOXX, an antiviral medication for acute mpox. He's also the Director of Emerging Pathogens at the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and the Director of UNC's Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center.

Rachel Noble, PhD is a distinguished professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research includes wastewater surveillance of various viruses in North Carolina. She can discuss the importance of surveilling mpox, the different subtypes of mpox and how they vary from one another and how molecular testing of mpox works.

Mark Heise, PhD and Nathaniel Moorman, PhD with Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug Development Initiative (READDI) can speak generally about viral spread and the need for antivirals to reduce disease, hospitalization and death.