Epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcome of mpox: A study of 381 cases in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives: There are limited data on the clinical and epidemiological aspects of mpox in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the characteristics of Mpox cases from May to September 2023.

Methods: A total of 381 cases of Mpox were included in this study, diagnosed based on a combination of clinical symptoms and laboratory testing.

Results: The majority of mpox cases were males (91.1%), with a mean age of (±SD) of 32.4 (±8.3) years; 356 (93.4%) did not report travel, 277 (72.7%) denied engaging in extra-marital sex, and 379 (99.5%) were not linked to secondary cases. Fever was reported in 371 (97.4%), whereas headache was present in 314 (82.4%). Cough (1.3%) and conjunctivitis (0.5%) were rare. The most commonly affected areas in terms of lesions were the palms and soles (297 cases, 78%), followed by the genitals (206 cases, 54%), face (198 cases, 52%), and mouth (160 cases, 42%). Of the 1325 identified contacts, 1134 (85.5%) were hospital contacts, and 191 (14.5%) were community contacts, and 393 (29.6%) were high-risk contact. Of the high-risk contacts, 284 (72.3%) accepted post-exposure vaccination. The genotyped samples were all subclade IIb (formerly the West Africa clade).

Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into mpox characteristics in Saudi Arabia. The genome of monkeypox virus belonged to subclade IIb of the West Africa clade. Further analysis of the global tree sublineage is needed.

Keywords: Clinical characteristics; Epidemiology; Genomic sequencing; Monkeypox virus; Mpox; Saudi Arabia.

Figure 1

The distribution of Mpox cases in Saudi Arabia based on the epidemiology week during the study period: May-September 2023. EPI wk: epidemiology week.