Mpox: Transmission, clinical manifestations, prevention, and treatment – a narrative review

Objective:To identify the transmission methods, symptoms, complications, prevention, and treatment associated with Mpox. Design:Literature review based on a narrative synthesis. Data Sources:Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scielo, ScienceDirect, Redalyc, and Scopus. Study Selection:Documents were selected and analyzed through a critical literature review, considering inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results:A literature review was conducted with a corpus of 17 articles, including 11 narrative reviews, 2 systematic reviews, and 4 statistical analyses. Mpox is more prevalent among children, adults, pregnant women, and homosexual and bisexual individuals. The regions with the highest outbreak incidence are Asia, South America, Europe, the United States, and especially West and Central Africa, where it is endemic. Clinical conditions associated with Mpox include fever, skin rashes, abdominal pain, and meningitis, and it is strongly linked to HIV. Most reported cases have been among lower-class individuals, with some from the middle class. Conclusions: The Mpox virus is transmitted through various means, primarily contact, bodily fluids, and sexual relations between men. It significantly affects children and pregnant women and presents a range of symptoms, with skin lesions being the most frequent, followed by fever, headaches, oral lesions, and others. If left untreated or inadequately managed, it can lead to severe complications, with HIV-positive individuals and immunocompromised patients at the highest risk. Pneumonia can be fatal in severe cases. Good personal hygiene is recommended, and although there are no approved vaccines for Mpox, Tecovirimat and Brincidofovir show potential for approval in case of future outbreaks.