The viral disease mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has become a worldwide threat once again.
Mpoxis due to a virus closely related to the now-extinct smallpox virus.
But that changed in early 2022, when the virus began to cause widespread human-to-human outbreaks outside Africa.
An illustration of mpox virus particles.© SERGII IAREMENKO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty
These outbreaks spanned the globe, with more than 90,000 cases in over 100 countries documented.
The virus can theoretically spread through any kind of direct contact.
But during the 2022 outbreaks, it was largely transmitted sexually between gay and bisexual men.
Scientists hadalready developeda vaccine for mpox prior to these outbreaks (thanks to its close resemblance to smallpox).
That raises the real possibility that the virus can now spread easily enough through other forms of direct contact.
Last week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public emergency over the outbreaks.
The WHO also is working to coordinate vaccine donations from other countries and pharmaceutical companies.
But these steps alone certainly wont be enough.
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More Severe Mpox Variant Found in the U.S. for the First Time.
