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Review
. 2024 Oct 16;16(10):1620.
doi: 10.3390/v16101620.

Mpox and Lessons Learned in the Light of the Recent Outbreak: A Narrative Review

Konstantinos Protopapas  1 , Dimitra Dimopoulou  2 , Nikolaos Kalesis  3 , Karolina Akinosoglou  4 , Charalampos D Moschopoulos  1
Affiliations
Review

Mpox and Lessons Learned in the Light of the Recent Outbreak: A Narrative Review

Konstantinos Protopapas et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

According to the WHO, more than 90,000 cases of mpox have been reported since the 2022 worldwide outbreak, which resulted in 167 deaths, while a new outbreak in Africa since 2023 has resulted in over 18,000 cases and 617 deaths. Mpox is a zoonosis caused by the monkeypox virus, a double-stranded DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which causes smallpox-like illness. Until 2022, cases were predominately located in West and Central Africa, with only sporadic cases and outbreaks reported in other parts of the world. During the 2022 outbreak, the primary mode of transmission was sexual contact among men who have sex with men. The changing epidemiology of mpox resulted in new disease phenotypes and populations at risk, disproportionally affecting people who live with HIV. Commonly presenting as a mild, self-limiting illness, mpox can cause severe and protracted disease in people with HIV with a CD4 count < 200 cell/mm3. The global emergence of mpox that followed and intersected with COVID-19 mobilized the scientific community and healthcare stakeholders to provide accurate diagnostics, preventive vaccines and treatment to those most affected. Despite existing gaps, this rapid response helped to contain the outbreak, but challenges remain as new variants emerge. Preparedness and readiness to respond to the next outbreak is crucial in order to minimize the impact to the most vulnerable.

Keywords: global response; monkeypox virus; mpox; outbreak; vaccination; zoonotic diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure of monkeypox virus (created using https://www.biorender.com (accessed on 7 July 2024)).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Manifestations of mpox (created using https://www.biorender.com (accessed on 7 July 2024)).
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Temporal evolution of the characteristic rash in a patient with mpox. Typical evolution of a cutaneous mpox lesion (from left to right): well-demarcated papule on an erythematous base; vesicle, pustular umbilicated lesion on an erythematous base; ulcerated lesion; crusted lesion. (b) Temporal evolution of the characteristic rash of mpox.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Temporal evolution of the characteristic rash in a patient with mpox. Typical evolution of a cutaneous mpox lesion (from left to right): well-demarcated papule on an erythematous base; vesicle, pustular umbilicated lesion on an erythematous base; ulcerated lesion; crusted lesion. (b) Temporal evolution of the characteristic rash of mpox.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Global response components to effectively battle the current mpox outbreak and future epidemics from emerging pathogens (created using https://www.biorender.com (accessed on 12 July 2024)).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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