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Mpox

Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. The illness is usually mild, and most of infected individuals recover within a few weeks without treatment. The time from exposure to the onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days, and symptoms typically last from two to four weeks. However, cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women, or people with suppressed immune systems. The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus, a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, which causes smallpox, is also in this genus. Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infected skin or body fluids, including sexual contact. People remain infectious from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and healed. The virus may spread from infected animals through handling infected meat or via bites or scratches. Diagnosis can be confirmed by PCR testing a lesion for the virus' DNA. Vaccination is recommended for those at high risk of infection. No vaccine has been developed specifically against mpox, however smallpox vaccines have been found to be effective. There is no specific treatment for the disease, so the aim of treatment is to manage the symptoms and prevent complications. Antiviral drugs such as tecovirimat can be used to treat mpox, although their effectiveness has not been proved. Mpox is endemic in central and Western Africa, where several species of mammals are suspected to act as a natural reservoir of the virus. The first human cases were diagnosed in 1970 in Basankusu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, the frequency and severity of outbreaks have significantly increased, possibly as a result of waning immunity since the cessation of routine smallpox vaccination. A global outbreak of clade II in 2022–2023 marked the first incidence of widespread community transmission outside of Africa. In July 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The WHO reverted this status in May 2023 as the outbreak came under control, citing a combination of vaccination and public health information as successful control measures. An outbreak of clade I mpox was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo during 2023. As of August 2024, it has spread to several African countries, raising concerns that it may have adapted to more sustained human transmission. On August 14, 2024, the WHO declared this outbreak a PHEIC.