Monkeypox claims new victims: the outbreak in men who have sex with men

Abstract

Monkeypox has a very prominent regional epidemic. It has been confined to Western and Central African countries. Sporadic cases found in countries outside Africa generally have a history of sojourn in endemic areas. However, the recent multinational outbreak of monkeypox cases in Europe in early May 2022 has revealed a changing epidemiological trend, those confirmed cases had no sojourn history in endemic areas and with a high proportion of cases involving men who have sex with men (MSM). Among the MSM cases, many of them presented atypical clinical manifestations of monkeypox and with other sexually transmitted diseases co-infection. Combined with the high social interactivity in this community, there is likely a higher risk of monkeypox transmission in this population. Establishing an infectious disease surveillance system, maintaining highly vigilant regarding the transmission of monkeypox in MSM, and responding promptly are necessary and effective measures to contain the outbreak.