Mpox

Mpox is an exotic infectious disease caused by the Mpox virus. The disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys, thus earning its name, but in its natural state, it seems to infect rodents more than primates. A fever, headache, muscle pains, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue are the first symptoms in humans. After this, a rash forms with blisters and crusts. Symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days after exposure. In most cases, symptoms last 2 to 4 weeks. Children, pregnant women, and people with suppressed immune systems are at greater risk of severe cases.

Human Monkeypox – Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, Diagnosis, and Prevention

The human monkeypox virus, which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus of the family Poxviridae, is a DNA virus.

What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox Epidemiology

Monkeypox 2003 U.S. Outbreak

Monkeypox; What is It and How Do We Treat It?

Latest Mpox News and Research

Improving public health communication in African epidemics: Lessons learned and future directions

During epidemics of Ebola, COVID-19, Zika and other public health emergencies, effective communication of public health messages is crucial to control the spread of disease, maintain public trust, and encourage compliance with health measures.

25 Apr 2024

Mass General Hospital develops clinical decision support tool for mpox diagnosis

Diagnosing infectious conditions can be challenging. Diagnosis is especially challenging for uncommon and emerging infectious diseases for which there's limited clinical experience.

5 Apr 2024

Research suggests booster doses may be necessary for monkeypox immunity

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that even in men who receives two doses of mpox vaccine intradermally, their level of antibodies to the virus falls to low or zero within the first few months if they have not received a previous smallpox vaccine.

1 Apr 2024

Study reveals waning antibody response to monkeypox vaccine over time

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) shows that the antibodies produced by Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara - Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) vaccination against mpox wane significantly within a year of receiving the vaccination – but in people with pre-existing immunity due to childhood smallpox vaccination in childhood, antibody levels remain high in almost all cases.

1 Apr 2024

Case study: Monkeypox breakthrough infection in fully vaccinated individual

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) details the case of a man who had received two doses of the monkey pox vaccine in Autumn, 2022 yet experienced a 'breakthrough' mpox infection in January 2024.

1 Apr 2024

CRISPR could be used for faster monkeypox testing

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a rare viral disease that is spread through physical contact between people.

12 Feb 2024

Unraveling the architecture of poxvirus cores

A recent re-emergence and outbreak of Mpox brought poxviruses back as a public health threat, underlining an important knowledge gap at their core.

6 Feb 2024

UKHSA unveils groundbreaking Pathogen Genomics Strategy for pandemic preparedness

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has today published its Pathogen Genomics Strategy, laying out a 5 year plan for the organization's role in the wider delivery of pathogen genomics to prepare for and respond to infectious disease threats to public health.

24 Jan 2024

Combined vaccination and behavior change efforts averted 64% of US mpox cases, study reveals

The effectiveness of the combination of current preventive responses against monkeypox (Mpox).

10 Jan 2024

Global study reveals varied intention to receive monkeypox vaccine: 61% prevalence worldwide

The global prevalence and regional differences in the intention to receive the monkeypox.

4 Jan 2024

Smaller mpox vaccine doses and intradermal delivery elicit detectable immune response, study shows

Delivering the two-dose mpox vaccine, called JYNNEOS, in smaller than the usual FDA-approved doses, and by injection between layers of the skin rather than by the standard route under the skin, produced a detectable immune response, a new study shows.

13 Dec 2023

Pediatric viral threats surge in the 21st century: A call for One Health approach

Scoping review in "Pediatric Research" examines the rise of pediatric viral diseases in the 21st century and underscores the importance of a One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and ecosystem health, to combat these emerging and re-emerging infectious threats effectively.

9 Nov 2023

Lab-grown skin organoids help scientists understand monkeypox infection

Skin organoids offer a powerful platform for drug discovery in the ongoing fight against the virus formerly known as monkeypox.

16 Oct 2023

Healthcare settings and mpox transmission: Understanding the risk factors

The stability of the monkeypox (Mpox) virus in various surroundings and bodily fluid.

12 Oct 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': An encore: 3 HHS secretaries reveal what the job is really like

This week, while KFF Health News' "What the Health?" takes a break, here’s an encore of a favorite episode this year: Host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former secretaries of Health and Human Services.

5 Oct 2023

Monkeypox mimics smallpox vaccine's immune response, new study reveals

The study in Nature Communications reveals that MPOX infection triggers an anti-viral antibody response akin to that from smallpox vaccination. Utilizing a comprehensive array of ELISAs, scientists found a high level of specificity and sensitivity in detecting antibodies against both MPOX and smallpox, offering a new, accurate way to measure immune responses.

26 Sep 2023

Scientists develop Australia’s first-of-its-kind next-gen mpox diagnostic tool

In a collaborative study published in The Lancet Microbe, the team of scientists, led by the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) and WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research), revealed MPXV-CRISPR – a powerful diagnostic tool capable of detecting MPXV in clinical samples with acute precision and at a faster rate than any other method, thanks to the power of CRISPR technology.

20 Sep 2023