Mpox (monkeypox) is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus.

Common symptoms include a skin rash or mucosal lesions lasting 2-4 weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, and low energy.

Transmission occurs through physical contact with an infected individual, contaminated materials, or infected animals, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Preventive measures include avoiding contact with infected individuals and vaccination for at-risk populations.

Discovered in 1958 in Denmark in monkeys kept for research, the first human case was reported in 1970 in a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

After the eradication of smallpox in 1980, mpox emerged in central, east, and west Africa, with a global outbreak occurring in 2022-2023.

The natural reservoir of the virus remains unknown, although small mammals like squirrels and monkeys are susceptible.