Transmission
MPX is a zoonotic disease. The natural reservoir for MPX has not yet
been identified, but it is thought that rodents could be the most likely
reservoir for this particular virus. Transmission of MPXV from animals
to humans can occur in contact with the body fluids of infected animals
or when scratched by infected animals, and transmission through urine
and feces may be an additional source of infection (Fig. 5).
Interpersonal transmission can occur through continuous face-to-face
contact with large respiratory droplets, or through direct contact with
viral lesions, body fluids, and through virally infected materials such
as bedding and clothing, etc [60]. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MXPV transmission is more likely
to come from intimate person-to-person contact, including kissing,
hugging, sex, or touching body parts with MPX sores [61].
Mother-to-child transmission can also occur through the placenta during
and after birth through close contact [61]. The first major outbreak
of MPX in 2022 in a non-endemic country mainly affected men (homosexual
or bisexual) [62,63]. Unlike other viral diseases such as SARS-CoV-2
infection, MPXV-infected individuals seem to spread only after the first
symptoms appear [64]. It is not clear whether MPXV can be
transmitted through semen and vaginal fluids.