Epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, and mental health status of human mpox cases: A multicenter cross‐sectional study in China

Abstract

Human mpox is occurring worldwide, however, evidence from the Asian Pacific Region is limited. In this multicenter cross‐sectional study, information of confirmed mpox cases diagnosed between June 1 and July 31, 2023 in China. Information included demographic and epidemiological characteristics, and clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and mental health status of mpox cases. A total of 115 confirmed mpox cases were enrolled. All cases were men. A total of 102 (90.3%) identified as homosexual. The median age was 31.0 years (interquartile range 27.0–36.5). A total of 65 (56.5%) were HIV‐positive, of whom 92.3% were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). A total of 19/39 (40.4%) had a CD4 cell count <500 cells/μL. Systemic features such as fever (73.0%), lymphadenopathies (49.6%), and myalgia (28.7%) were commonly observed. Skin lesions were present in all participants: 49.6% in the genital area and 27.0% in the perianal area. Vesicular rash (78.3%) and papular rash (44.3%) were the most common lesion morphologies. People living with HIV were more likely to have anxiety than those living without HIV. The majority of mpox cases had primary genital lesions and sexual activities before diagnosis, which supports the likelihood of sexual contact transmission. Guidelines on hospitalization and isolation protocols for mpox patients necessitate further confirmation.

Mpox patients' experience from infection to treatment and implications for prevention and control: A multicenter qualitative study in China

“…33,34 However, it's noteworthy that one patient identified as heterosexual, consistent with a recent study that has identified some heterosexual patients. 35 This suggests that mpox may be spreading beyond high-risk groups to the general population, highlighting the need to update guidelines for screening and epidemiological investigations.…”

Monkeypox: re-emerging zoonosis with repercussions on the mental health of the population

“…Un 56,5 % de los pacientes eran VIH positivos, de los cuales 92,3 % estaban recibiendo terapia antirretroviral (TAR), concluyendo que los pacientes infectados también con VIH tenían más probabilidades de tener ansiedad, de allí la importancia de un abordaje integral del paciente. (44) El temor subsecuente de la comunidad LGBTIQ+ a la discriminación podría generar que personas sintomáticas no acudan a buscar asistencia médica, que generaría una transmisión inconsciente. De allí la necesidad que los profesionales abocados a la salud mental centren sus esfuerzos en brindar consejos de salud y alentarlos a vacunarse contra la viruela símica como medida profiláctica.…”

Successful treatment of severe monkeypox case with advanced HIV infection using plasma from smallpox‐vaccinated healthy population: A case report

“…By June 2023, two indigenous cases were documented in Beijing. From then on, the disease began to emerge in other regions of China [3]. The current outbreak of mpox has a different clinical manifestation from the classic form, with lesions mainly localized in the anal and genital regions and high-risk sexual contact being the primary transmission route [4].…”

“…The current outbreak of mpox has a different clinical manifestation from the classic form, with lesions mainly localized in the anal and genital regions and high-risk sexual contact being the primary transmission route [4]. According to a multicenter crosssectional study conducted in China, individuals living with HIV comprised 56.5% of the mpox population [3]. The overall mortality rate of the outbreak is approximately 1 per 1000.…”