The Impact of Pollutants and Deforestation on the Spread of Monkeypox: An Unintended Consequence of Progress

Monkeypox (MPX) is a rare zoonotic illness, like smallpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, which is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Chordopoxvirinae subfamily that falls under the classification of the Poxviridae family. MPX is clinically characterized by a wide variety of symptoms and signs, including fever, sore throat, headache, myalgia, lymphadenopathy, and rashes. As the world is undergoing progressive industrialization over time, there is a corresponding increase in environmental pollutants and deforestation. Previous studies have found a correlation between exposure to environmental contaminants and the incidence of MPX. Additionally, it has been hypothesized that deforestation may also have played a role in the disease's resurgence or in its ability to spread. Habitat loss and ecological instability brought on by environmental contaminants and deforestation may increase human-infected animal interaction and hasten the spread. The likely connection should be known by health authorities and doctors, as well as government officials, to help fund further investigations and craft strategies to combat the risk of an increasing prevalence of MPX in the world, especially in densely populated underdeveloped regions of Asia and Africa, where containment of MPX poses greater challenges. In this article, we have provided an important real-world perspective and suggested future recommendations to halt the further spread of MPX to new places.