5. Mpox Epidemiology
Sub-Saharan Africa has possibly seen Mpox for several thousands of years since humans initially contracted the virus via close contact with diseased animals30. Mpox was recognised as a distinct sickness after smallpox was eradicated in 1970 and it became clear that smallpox-like infections were still happening in rural areas30. The Mpox virus was first discovered in monkeys used for research in 1958 at State Serum Institutes in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Africa 12. Mpox has received attention as a disease of significant global public health since the outbreak of the first epidemic in the USA in 2003, which was linked with infected pet prairie dogs31. It was assumed that the native prairie dogs housed with imported rodents from Ghana in the western region of Africa were the primary source of the outbreak because the bulk of the affected people became ill after interacting with pet prairie dogs. Mpox has been connected to a rise in cases that began in the Midwest of the US in the summer of 200330. Mpox cases have been reported in several countries since 2003, with the worst epidemic occurring in Nigeria in 201731.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported 5783 instances of Mpox as of July 1, 2022, spread over 52 different nations.Figure 4 shows the geographical distribution of the cases worldwide. Currently, the western hemisphere and parts of Europe are home to the majority of Mpox cases. According to recent studies, the United Kingdom has the most instances in all of Europe. With a median age of 31 years, most cases reported of Mpox currently affect people under the age of 40. This group only emerged after the smallpox vaccination campaign had been abandoned, further illuminating the lack of cross-protective immunity12. According to the external Situation report issued on June 10, 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) received reports of 87,929 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox (mpox) from 111 countries across all six WHO Regions between January 1, 2022, and June 5, 2023. This totals 146 deaths. Since the last situation update, 552 new cases (a 0.6% rise) and six new fatalities have been reported. The number of new cases worldwide fell somewhat in the most recent reporting week. The Americas have recorded the most cases in the last three weeks. Cases have increased in several countries, including Cameroon. Europe and Southeast Asia have also reported additional cases, but with some delay. The number of cases in Africa has dramatically grown, exceeding the previously recorded average. As of June 5, 2023, 15 nations had confirmed new cases within the maximum illness incubation time. The United States, Brazil, and Spain are among the countries with the most cumulative instances. These 10 countries account for 83.9% of all instances globally. The monkeypox outbreak continues, with low levels of transmission in Europe and the Americas, a minor decline in the Western Pacific, and an increase in cases in South-East Asia. The number of cases has recently increased in Africa, where transmission is more constant. Most patients are men, and the age distribution is consistent. Children make up a minor fraction of cases, with the majority being recorded in the Americas region. Transmission occurs largely among homosexual, bisexual, and other males who have intercourse with other men. The predominant mechanism of transmission is through skin and mucosal contact during sex, followed by non-sexual contact between people. The most typically reported exposure contexts are parties involving sexual interaction, however this is changing with time. Rash, fever, systemic rash, and vaginal rash are all common symptoms. However, reliable information on transmission and exposure settings is scarce in the WHO African Region, making it difficult to gain a thorough knowledge of the virus’s spread there.