An Emerging Global Threat After The COVID-19 Pandemic: Monkeypox Similarities and Differences

During the post COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox (mpox) has returned and become a significant concern for health. The epicenter of clade I mpox is within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where two subclade consists of Ia and Ib are now in circulation and maintain their transmission from human to human. As of late 2024, worldwide mpox cases had surpassed 100,000 across 127 nations, with the World Health Organization reporting over 260 fatalities. CDC recently reported that the spread of clade I is no longer limited to Africa, highlighting its growing potential to become a pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease an international public health emergency on August 14, 2024. This undoubtedly raises the question of whether global outbreaks of mpox represent the onset of another full-blown pandemic. Although Monkeypox can lead to other public health issues (especially in areas where it is not usually endemic), it is unlikely to become a pandemic on the same scale as COVID-19. Moreover, it is more containable due to vaccine availability, its transmission dynamics, and lessons learned from COVID-19. Nonetheless, it is still important to remain vigilant to prevent outbreaks from spreading, particularly in vulnerable populations and regions with limited healthcare resources.