A Primer on Monkeypox Infection: An Emerging Threat to Global Public Health

Monkeypox (mpox) is caused by a poxvirus closely related to the smallpox virus. It spreads by intimate contact between humans and animals. Prior immunization against smallpox only provides partial protection against mpox. Recently, the WHO declared mpox as a global public health emergency. Mpox is characterized by a brief febrile illness with lymphadenopathy, followed by a rash that develops in phases of macules, papules, vesicles, and pustules, spreading centrifugally. Most patients recover within two to four weeks. Children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals are more likely to experience complications. A precise laboratory diagnosis can be made by using a molecular method, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect viral DNA in the tested sample. Most of the treatment is symptomatic, and supportive care is usually sufficient for moderate, self-limited cases of mpox. However, antiviral medications, such as tecovirimat, brincidofovir, and cidofovir, as well as vaccinia immune globulin intravenous (VIGIV), are available as therapeutic options. For high-risk groups, such as healthcare professionals and close contacts, vaccination with currently available smallpox vaccines is advised. This review emphasizes an overview of the history, etiology, epidemiology, structure, reservoirs, transmission, virus phylogeny, genome organization, clinical cases and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mpox with recent updates. Therefore, a multifaceted approach is essential and includes improved surveillance, early diagnosis, isolation of index cases, immunization, and adoption of a “One Health” approach to prevent an mpox outbreak.