Mpox

The mpox virus has been endemic—occurring regularly—in west, central and east Africa since the first case of human mpox disease was identified in 1970. Mpox is spread through skin-to-skin contact, which can include sexual contact. People who acquire mpox tend to clear the infection on their own, but the virus can cause serious disease in children, pregnant women, and other people with compromised immune systems, including individuals with advanced HIV disease. Rare but serious complications of mpox include dehydration, bacterial infections, pneumonia, brain inflammation, sepsis, eye infections and death. A relatively new vaccine was found to be effective in preventing mpox during the global outbreak that began in 2022. NIAID research includes understanding mpox zoonosis in reservoirs and new host reservoirs and modulation virulence; understanding of poxvirus biology within the host cell; development of models to test mpox therapeutics; and clinical trials of therapeutic and vaccination strategies.