review · Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Monkeypox virus is the zoonotic pathogen responsible for mpox. Historically endemic to forested areas of West and Central Africa, the virus has expanded globally to trigger outbreaks across non-endemic nations. An evaluation of its ecology, genomics, evolution, and infection biology indicates that the B.1 lineage driving the 2022 outbreaks has been circulating since 2016. Examination of host-virus interactions demonstrates how cellular mechanisms regulate viral infection biology, signal transduction, disease pathogenesis, and host immune defences. Alongside documenting shifts in epidemiology and pathophysiology, recent developments in mpox prevention and medical treatment are synthesised. Critical gaps in knowledge persist regarding the pathogen and its pathology. Addressing these unresolved questions through focused investigation and adopting a collaborative One Health framework represents an effective strategy for managing current outbreaks and curbing future epidemics.
Mpox has transitioned from a regionally confined zoonotic illness into a global public health concern. Understanding how the virus evolves, spreads, and interacts with human immune defences is vital for healthcare planners and medical researchers seeking to modernise treatment protocols, monitor emerging epidemiological trends, and deploy integrated interventions that prevent further international outbreaks.
The findings synthesise advances in prevention, therapeutics, and host-virus interactions, which could inform diagnostic developers, vaccine manufacturers, and pharmaceutical researchers working on poxviruses. However, because this work presents a broad biological and epidemiological review, it remains at the early-stage exploratory level, and the abstract does not indicate a specific commercial development pathway or near-market application.
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Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is the etiological agent of monkeypox (mpox), a zoonotic disease. MPXV is endemic in the forested regions of West and Central Africa, but the virus has recently spread globally, causing outbreaks in multiple non-endemic countries. In this paper, we review the characteristics of the virus, including its ecology, genomics, infection biology, and evolution. We estimate by phylogenomic molecular clock that the B.1 lineage responsible for the 2022 mpox outbreaks has been in circulation since 2016. We interrogate the host-virus interactions that modulate the virus infection biology, signal transduction, pathogenesis, and host immune responses. We highlight the changing pathophysiology and epidemiology of MPXV and summarize recent advances in the prevention and treatment of mpox. In addition, this review identifies knowledge gaps with respect to the virus and the disease, suggests future research directions to address the knowledge gaps, and proposes a One Health approach as an effective strategy to prevent current and future epidemics of mpox.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1360586
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