Washington Post | Opinion
Two years ago, the United States and other Western countries mounted an aggressive — and successful — response to mpox. But the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, is coming back deadlier than before. The West must curb this threat before it once again wreaks havoc around the world. The previous outbreak spread from sub-Saharan Africa to more than 100 countries that had not previously seen the disease, resulting in 100,000 cases globally. The United States reported about 32,000 cases in 2022 and 2023, predominantly among men who have sex with men.
Most recovered after a bout of itchy skin lesions and flu-like symptoms, but some developed complications such as pneumonia and brain swelling. In total, 58 Americans died. That number probably would have been worse if not for extensive outreach efforts and a targeted vaccination campaign.
Several factors make this year’s outbreak especially worrisome. First, this version of mpox is different. Mpox itself is not a new disease; sporadic cases have been reported in Central and East Africa for more than 50 years. Before the 2022 outbreak, cases generally involved people who contracted the virus from wild animals, and there was little human-to-human transmission.