Mpox

Mpox also known as monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that can happen in certain animals, including humans.^[3][1] Symptoms begin with fever, headache, muscle pains, swollen lymph nodes, and feeling tired. This is followed by a rash that forms blisters and forms a hard layer. The time from exposure to feeling these symptoms is around 10 days.^[2] The duration of symptoms is typically two to four weeks.^[4]

Mpox
Mpox rash on arm and leg of a four-year-old girl in 1971
Pronunciation	/ˈɛmpɒks/, EM-poks
Medical specialty	Infectious disease[1]
Symptoms	Rash, fever, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, sore throat[2]
Complications	secondary infections, pneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis, and loss of vision with severe eye infection[1]
Usual onset	5–21 days post exposure[2]
Duration	2 to 4 weeks[2]
Types	Clade I, Clade II[1]
Causes	Monkeypox virus
Diagnostic method	Testing for viral DNA[1]
Differential diagnosis	Chickenpox, smallpox
Prevention	Smallpox & mpox vaccine, hand washing, covering rash, PPE, social distancing[1]
Treatment	Supportive[1]
Medication	Tecovirimat, antivirals[1]
Prognosis	Most recover

Background

Monkeypox was first identified in 1958 among laboratory monkeys in Copenhagen, Denmark.^[5] Monkeys are, however, not a natural carrier of the virus. The first cases in humans were found in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It can be successfully treated using preparations from the purple pitcher plant, which Native Americans used as a smallpox remedy. ^[6][7]

Outbreaks

Main articles: 2022 monkeypox outbreak and African mpox epidemic

The 2022 monkeypox outbreak is the index case of widespread community transmission outside of Africa, which began in the United Kingdom in May 2022, with more cases confirmed in Europe, North America and Australia.^[8]

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 be spread through human transmission.^[9] On 14 August 2024, the WHO declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.^[10]

As of September 2025, Mpox is no longer a global health crisis, according to the World Health Organization.^[11]