2024 Monkeypox Outbreak: Assessing the Current Scenario, Global Health Risks, and Preparedness for a Silent Pandemic

With another sequel in the making, monkeypox virus (MPXV) has yet again resurfaced in the African subcontinent and in several non-endemic countries, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare monkeypox (Mpox) a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The preceding 2022 multi-country outbreak was associated with the spread of Clade II strain, while the 2024 Mpox outbreak has been primarily linked to currently-circulating Clade Ib strain, known to be highly transmissible and severe. Although most of the Mpox cases (90%) have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the current outbreak has become transboundary with an active caseload of 103,048 laboratory-confirmed cases and 186 probable cases (including 229 deaths) in 121 countries. Several reasons have been attributed to the current Mpox outbreak, including (i) unavailability and limited supply of Mpox vaccines to African countries, (ii) increased transmissibility of circulating MPXV strains, and (iii) lack of knowledge about range of animal reservoirs. In view of the current situation, WHO has proposed operational planning guidelines for strategic preparedness and readiness for containing the ongoing Mpox outbreak. Hence, this opinion article highlights the recent developments with respect to the 2024 multi-country Mpox outbreak, implicating the reasons behind viral resurgence along with briefly discussing the necessary plan of action to curb zoonotic and human-to-human transmission of Mpox.