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.