Recent Advances in Mpox Epidemic: Global Features and Vaccine Prevention Research

Abstract

Monkeypox (mpox) is a zoonotic disease (zoonose) caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). MPXV, a member of the Orthopoxviridae family, is categorized into two clades, Central Africa (I) and West Africa (II), each of which is further subdivided into subclades a and b. Clade I generally causes more serious illness and higher mortality rates, while Clade II results in milder illness. Historically, mpox epidemics were localized to specific regions and countries in Africa. Since 2022, the mpox epidemic, fueled by MPXV Clade IIb, has swiftly spread across various nations and regions, jeopardizing public health and safety. However, starting in 2024, Clade Ib gradually replaced Clade IIb. The notable genetic variation in Clade Ib may provide MPXV with new opportunities to evade the immune system and adapt to hosts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from 1 January 2022, to 24 November 2024, there were 117,663 confirmed cases and 2 probable cases, resulting in 263 deaths across 127 Member States in all six WHO regions. As of 9 January 2025, 12 countries outside Africa have reported imported MPXV Clade Ib cases, with secondary cases emerging in the United Kingdom, Germany, and China. Due to the incomplete development of a vaccine specifically for MPXV, the smallpox vaccine remains in use for preventing mpox or for emergency vaccination post-exposure. Therefore, the persistent spread of mpox is still a major concern, requiring greater awareness and vaccination efforts in populations at high risk. This paper aims to summarize the etiological characteristics, epidemic situation, and vaccine prevention efforts for mpox, offering a reference for managing this serious epidemic and ensuring effective scientific prevention and control.

Keywords: epidemic situation; etiological characteristics; mpox; vaccine prevention; zoonotic disease.

Figure 1

From January 2022 to November 2024. Monthly number of mpox cases reported in 128 Member States across all six WHO regions. The data are from the WHO Global Aggregate of Mpox Cases. This figure was drawn by Graphpad Pism 9.5.

Figure 2

Global mpox outbreaks and related important events since 2022. This figure was drawn using Figdraw2.0.

Figure 3

From January 2022 to November 2024. Monthly numbers of cases and deaths from mpox are reported for 128 Member States across all six WHO regions. The data are from the WHO Global Aggregate of Mpox Cases. This figure was drawn using Graphpad Pism.