The monkeypox disease can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals, and the laboratory confirmation of mpox is done by testing skin lesion material by PCR.
Mpox is treated with supportive care. Vaccines and therapeutics developed for smallpox and approved for use in some countries can be used for mpox in some circumstances and the disease can be prevented by avoiding physical contact with someone who has mpox. Vaccination can help prevent infection for people at risk.
In 2022–2023 a global outbreak of mpox was caused by a strain known as clade IIb and now (August 2024) the Africa's top public health body declared what it termed a ‘public health emergency of continental security’ over an outbreak of mpox that has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
