Mpox Brief

Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the mpox virus (1). Though originally endemic to Africa, in 2022 a significant multi-country mpox outbreak arose in many countries throughout the world, driven by travel and person-to-person transmission. WHO and the United States have both declared the ongoing outbreak to be a public health emergency. Mpox and its causative virus were both originally named monkeypox as the virus was first detected in monkeys. In November 2022 WHO announced adoption of the name “mpox” as a new preferred synonym for monkeypox disease. Although official efforts to rename the virus are separate and technically still underway, many authorities, including the CDC, are now using the name mpox in reference to both the disease and the virus that causes it (2).