Learning from the past: the history of human monkeypox and the atypical multi-country outbreak in 2022

YAO Kai-Hu

doi:10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2206019

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Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics ›› 2022, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (7) : 717-727. DOI: 10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2206019

TOPIC OF EPIDEMIC PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Learning from the past: the history of human monkeypox and the atypical multi-country outbreak in 2022

YAO Kai-Hu

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Abstract

In 2022, the outbreak of human monkeypox (HMPX) occurred in many non-endemic countries. World Health Organization (WHO) assesses that this outbreak is "atypical". The history of monkeypox and HMPX must be reviewed to clearly recognize the "typical" outbreaks to fully understand this comment. Therefore, this paper reviews the epidemiological history of monkeypox, especially HMPX, and discusses and analyzes the atypical manifestations and the possible causes of the present outbreak based on the recent views of WHO, other organizations/institutions, and experts. The text describes the thought-provoking history of the interaction between the monkeypox virus and the human being in the past 64 years, and provides various information and views on the outbreak of HMPX, which is helpful to understand risk assessment and the potential impact of this outbreak on clinical and public health in future.

Key words

Monkeypox / Human monkeypox / Outbreak / History

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YAO Kai-Hu. Learning from the past: the history of human monkeypox and the atypical multi-country outbreak in 2022[J]. Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics. 2022, 24(7): 717-727 https://doi.org/10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2206019

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