Can variola-like viruses be derived from monkeypox virus? An investigation based on DNA mapping.

The results are presented of a special study to determine whether variola-like "whitepox" viruses could arise as white pock variants of monkeypox virus after one or a few mutations. DNA mapping by cross-hybridization of restriction endonuclease DNA fragments was carried out on 18 orthopoxviruses relevant to this study, including variola and monkeypox viruses and white (non-haemorrhagic) pock producers recovered from chorioallantoic membranes infected with red (haemorrhagic) pock-producing monkeypox viruses. The distinctiveness of the DNA maps of true variola and monkeypox viruses indicated that spontaneous production of "whitepox" from monkeypox virus was genetically impossible. These and other observations led to the conclusion that the "whitepox" viruses recovered from monkeypox virus stocks had an exogenous origin.