From Covid to Monkeypox: The Next Chapter in Viral Outbreaks

Mahendra Pal^1, , Tesfaye Rebuma², Ravindra Zende³ and Ranjan Das⁴

¹Narayan Consultancy of Veterinary Public Health, and Microbiology, Bharuch, Gujarat, India

²Shaggar City administration Sebeta Sub city Agricultural office, Sebeta, Oromia, Ethiopia

³Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, Mumbai Veterinary College, Mumbai, India

⁴All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata, India

Cite this paper:
Mahendra Pal, Tesfaye Rebuma, Ravindra Zende and Ranjan Das. From Covid to Monkeypox: The Next Chapter in Viral Outbreaks. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2024; 12(4):100-108. doi: 10.12691/ajphr-12-4-5

Abstract

Emerging and re-emerging viral zoonoses are important cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing and developed nations of the world. The re-emergence of monkeypox has garnered global public health attention. Originally identified in humans in 1970, monkeypox is categorized into two primary clades: Clade I (Congo Basin) and Clade II (West African). The recent global outbreak, mainly involving Clade IIb across 15 African Union Member States, revealed an expanded geographic distribution and shifting transmission patterns. Outbreaks of monkeypox also occurred in non-endemic countries. While monkeypox has traditionally been spread from animals to humans through infected wildlife, recent outbreaks show increased human-to-human transmission, with evidence suggesting reverse zoonosis to pets. This review consolidates current knowledge on the virus’s etiology, host range, epidemiological trends and examines the clinical symptoms, diagnostic complications, ongoing efforts in treatment and prevention. Although smallpox vaccines and antiviral treatments like tecovirimat and brincidofovir exist, controlling monkeypox remains challenging due to evolving transmission routes and severity. Strengthening surveillance, vaccination strategies, and public health measures are essential to mitigating the impact of monkeypox and preventing future outbreaks.

Keywords:
Clade I (Congo Basin) Clade II (West African) Global outbreak Orthopoxvirus Monkeypox virus Public health Re-emerging viral zoonosis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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