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Review
. 2022 Nov;32(6):e2392.
doi: 10.1002/rmv.2392. Epub 2022 Aug 27.

Monkeypox: An international epidemic

Daniele Focosi  1 , Federica Novazzi  2 , Andreina Baj  2 , Fabrizio Maggi  3
Affiliations
Review

Monkeypox: An international epidemic

Daniele Focosi et al. Rev Med Virol. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Human monkeypox (MPX) is a viral zoonosis caused by the Monkeypox virus. For decades outbreaks exclusively occurred in the tropical rainforests of Africa, with a few imported cases and very limited human-to-human transmission outside Africa. Nevertheless, in the last years sustained outbreaks have emerged, peaking at 4600 cases in 2020 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since May 2022, an international epidemic originated at 2 events in Spain and Belgium led to sustained human-to-human transmission across multiple continents, mostly in males having sex with males subjects. We review here clinical presentation, epidemiology, viral evolution, vaccines, and therapeutics against human MPX.

Keywords: monkeypox virus; orthopoxvirus.

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