Conclusion and outlook
Unlike the SARS-CoV-2, which is emerging in 2019, MPXV is a re-emerging
old virus. Few cases of MPX were once reported in countries outside of
Central and West Africa. However, the MPXV pandemic that broke out in
the summer of 2022 has spread to nearly 110 different countries
including the United States, Canada, Australia, and some European
countries. The exact cause of the pandemic is not yet known, but it may
be related to the phasing out of Smallpox vaccination in various
countries starting in 1980 [76]. Although the threat of MPXV to
global mass epidemics is much less severe than SARS-CoV-2 and the number
of MPX cases has been declining, there is still a need to focus on
completely containing the outbreak. Due to globalization and advances in
transportation, humans and animals are exposed to many new diseases for
which natural immunity is lacking, thus accelerating the emergence of
the unprecedented spread of infectious diseases such as MPX. We cannot
predict the next infection to emerge, but this outbreak of MPX in a
non-endemic area is a wake-up call. Outbreaks in low-resource areas have
long lacked the attention and resources needed for an effective
response, such as the vast disparities in access to vaccine resources
around the world. To ensure that all MPX-affected countries end this
nightmare once and for all and that humanity does not repeat it in the
future, countries must not ignore infectious agents that are considered
to be geographically limited. Whether it is health education, behavior
change, or vaccination and treatment utilization, public health
organizations and countries need to take a proactive and equitable
approach.