There is another new infectious disease making headlines now alongside COVID-19. It’s mpox. Mpox is another virus similar to the smallpox virus. It spreads primarily through close contact and is characterized by the common rashes or skin lesions (bumps or boils on the skin) that appear on those who are infected with it (1). We’ve known about the mpox virus infecting humans since 1970 when it was first documented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is a country in Africa (2). For decades mpox was only found in regions of Africa and people mostly got it from contact with infected animals (3). However, in the beginning of May 2022 mpox cases started showing up in countries all around the world and have continued to spread at a rate that is much greater than seen before. Scientist and doctors have been moving quickly to study the virus and how it behaves in humans.

This week’s article focuses on a study (4) that looked at 528 mpox patients from 16 different countries. The researchers partnered with doctors and clinics from around the world who treated mpox patients. They all worked together to share information about their patients’ symptoms, the course of the mpox infection, and the demographic characteristics of the patients who got infected. Through sharing this information, the researchers were able to get a clearer understanding of what mpox looks like in those who get infected, as well as how it spreads.



After reviewing the cases of the 528 mpox patients, the researchers found informative trends. Regarding symptoms, it was found that the most common symptoms were rashes/skin lesions, fever, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. On average, the patients developed symptoms 7 days after they got the mpox virus. The patients remained contagious for up to 21 days. The researchers also found that the most common way of spreading the virus was close sexual contact, although other forms of close contact were found to be a source of transmission too. Lastly, the researchers noted that 13% of the patients were hospitalized, but the main reason patients went to the hospital was to manage pain from the skin lesions. No deaths were reported.



Regarding the demographic characteristics of the patients, the researchers found that at the time of the study, the group that was most at risk for a mpox infection was men who have sex with other men (MSM). However, it is important to note that this trend only reflects what is happening at the current moment with the outbreak and that the mpox virus can and has spread to women and people of other sexual orientations (5). If you are sexually active or use dating apps to find sexual partners, ask any partner you meet if they have a rash before having sex or close contact with them – if they have a rash, do not have sex or engage in close contact with them. If you find that you have a new rash and feel sick, go see a healthcare provider or public clinic to get it checked out. Hold off on having sex or close contact with anyone until the rash has been treated and goes away and you feel better. If you find that a sexual partner or significant other has a new rash, don’t have sex or close contact with them until they get the rash checked out by a healthcare provider.



You can find more information on mpox and sexual health at Safer Sex, Social Gatherings, and Mpox.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, June 24). Mpox Signs and Symptoms. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/symptoms/index.html
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, July 22). About Mpox. https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/about.html
3. Aplogan, A., & Szczeniowski, M. (1997). Human monkeypox in Kasai Oriental, Democratic Republic of Congo. MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 46(49), 1168-1171.
4. Thornhill, J.P., Barkati, S., Walmsley, S., Rockstroh, J., Antinori, A., Harrison, L.B., Palich, R., Nori, A., Reeves, I., Habibi, M.S., Apea, V., Boesecke, C., Vandekerckhove, L., Yakubovsky, M., Sendagorta, E., Blanco, J.L., Florence, E., Moschese, D., Maltez, F.M.,… Orkin, C.M. (2022). Monkeypox Virus Infection in Humans across 16 Countries — April–June 2022. The New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2207323.
5. Bunge, E. M., Hoet, B., Chen, L., Lienert, F., Weidenthaler, H., Baer, L. R., & Steffen, R. (2022). The changing epidemiology of human monkeypox—A potential threat? A systematic review. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16(2), e0010141.