Primate Monkeypox Study Guide
Overview and Clinical Importance
Monkeypox (mpox) is an emerging zoonotic viral disease caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV), a double-stranded DNA virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus, family Poxviridae. Although first discovered in captive cynomolgus monkeys in 1958, the virus primarily circulates in African rodents, with primates serving as accidental spillover hosts. Following smallpox eradication in 1980, mpox has become the most significant orthopoxvirus infection affecting humans and nonhuman primates.
Etiology and Viral Characteristics
Virus Classification
Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which also includes variola virus (smallpox), vaccinia virus, and cowpox virus. MPXV is a complex, enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus approximately 200-250 nanometers in diameter with a characteristic brick or box-shaped morphology under electron microscopy.
Viral Clades
Two distinct genetic clades exist with different virulence and geographic distribution:
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