Monkeypox is to be renamed mpox, the World Health Organization announced on 28 November 2022, in a bid to avoid stigmatisation stemming from the existing name.
Monkeypox received its name because the virus was originally identified in monkeys kept for research in Denmark in 1958, but the disease is found in a number of animals, most frequently in rodents.
The disease was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the spread among humans since then mainly limited to certain West and Central African nations.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions.
Monkeypox is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Monkeypox typically presents clinically with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes and may lead to a range of medical complications.
The case fatality ratio of monkeypox has historically ranged from 0 to 11 % in the general population and has been higher among young children. In recent times, the case fatality ratio has been around 3–6%.
Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus and also through close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.
An antiviral agent developed for the treatment of smallpox has also been licensed for the treatment of monkeypox.
Monkeypox is less contagious than smallpox and causes less severe illness. Various animal species (rope squirrels, tree squirrels etc.) have been identified as susceptible to the monkeypox virus.