Mpox (also known as monkeypox)

Mpox (also known as monkeypox) is a zoonosis caused by monkeypox virus. First discovered in 1958 in monkeys kept for research, hence the virus was named ‘monkeypox virus’.

Human infection of monkeypox was given its name since 1970 when the first case was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as Zaire). From that time, most of the reported monkeypox outbreaks have occurred in Central and West Africa, and some outbreaks outside Africa were found to be related to the imported animals or travelers from Africa. Since May 2022, there has been a multi-country outbreak of monkeypox reported from many countries in widely disparate geographical areas globally.

For more information on the clinical features, mode of transmission, incubation period, management and prevention, please refer to the factsheet on Mpox.