Monkeypox Outbreak 2023 in Chengdu, China: an Observational Study

Monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease caused by monkeypox virus infection, which is endemic to Africa. Since May 2022, the disease has rapidly spread worldwide, and imported cases have been sporadically confirmed in China. Given these circumstances, data on confirmed cases were collected consecutively in Chengdu, Southwest China, to investigate their clinical and epidemiological characteristics. In this study, 28 male patients were confirmed to have monkeypox infection, with 26 men who had sex with men. Typical lesions included papules, pustular papules, vesicles, scabs, and ulcers. The most common sites of skin lesions were the anogenital and perineal areas, and three patients developed widespread exanthem. Seven patients reported a history of sexually transmitted diseases, none of whom was hospitalized, and there were no deaths. Three instances of secondary transmission were identified among close contacts, all of whom were the sexual partners of the participants. Furthermore, this observation provides insights into public health for the surveillance of this emerging disease and raises awareness among at-risk individuals.