Neurological Manifestations of Re-Emergent Human Monkeypox Virus Publisher



Shafaati M ; Zandi M
Source: Global Virology V: 21st Century Vaccines and Viruses Published:2025

Abstract

In May 2022, human monkeypox virus (hMPXV), a re-emerging zoonotic virus, arrived from Africa. Although the cause of the current outbreak is still unknown, there are several reasons. There could be a number of factors contributing to its recurrence. These clarifications may consist of (1) increased contact between humans and animals as a result of urbanization and deforestation, (2) changes in climatic trends have an impact on animal reservoir habitats, (3) increased international travel and trade allowed the virus to spread, and (4) there are areas with insufficient public health infrastructure and surveillance. Further research is needed to determine the exact causes of this outbreak and develop effective prevention and control measures. It is critical to monitor this issue closely because hMPXV may be associated with neurological complications. Epidemiological and genetic surveillance of orthopoxviruses is essential to maintain public health. There has been an increase in mpox cases in Africa. Coupled with this, there has been an increase in mpox outbreaks outside Africa, are export cases in recent years. So why were not more effective measures taken earlier to stop the pandemic in Africa? It is critical to consider the effects of this virus on the nervous system, even if neurological manifestations are less frequent or less common. The historical side-effects of smallpox vaccination, such as postvaccinal encephalomyelitis, as well as the known neurologic side effects of mpox, which include headache mood disorders, and sporadic symptoms of encephalitis, transverse myelitis, and convulsions. Of concern is the possibility of viral survival and systemic effects in immunocompromised individuals. The diagnosis, current treatment, and prevention of mpox are also discussed. Once the infection spreads, antiviral therapy should be initiated. That means, antiviral therapies are used by physicians to treat mpox, whereas the smallpox vaccine has an 85% success rate. Healthcare professionals typically reach this decision on an individual basis, taking into account both the severity of the infection and the patient’s health. They recommend increased use of antiviral drugs to stop the spread of viruses in the case of an outbreak. A feature of many pandemics is the development of long-term neurologic sequelae, such as post-COVID-19, West Nile encephalitis, and HIV-related neurocognitive deficits. These problems are of concern to the general public because they have significant socioeconomic implications. However, these symptoms usually go unrecognized, because they are initially masked by acute systemic infection before being attributed to end-organ failure or epidemic-related psychological stress. For these reasons, we focused our literature review on orthopoxviruses and mpox on neurologic consequences. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.