The changing epidemiology of human monkeypox—A potential threat? A systematic review
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010141
- PMID
- 35148313
- PMCID
- PMC8870502
- OpenAlex
- W4211060053
- Study type
- Systematic review
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Publication version
This article has a linked preprint
The relationship comes from Crossref version metadata. Compare both records because findings and wording may have changed between versions.
Open linked preprint →Why this research matters now
The review highlights the global relevance of monkeypox given its spread beyond endemic African settings and suggests that enhanced surveillance is needed to monitor its evolving epidemiology.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
How has the epidemiology of human monkeypox evolved over time, with attention to case counts, age at presentation, mortality, and geographic spread.
Study design
Systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature, registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020208269), drawing on 48 peer-reviewed articles and 18 grey literature sources.
Population and setting
Reported human monkeypox cases globally, with particular emphasis on endemic regions of Central and West Africa and occasional import- and travel-related cases outside Africa since 2003.
Main findings
The authors describe a rising number of human monkeypox cases since the 1970s, with the most pronounced increases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The median age at presentation rose from 4 years in the 1970s to 21 years in 2010–2019. The overall case fatality rate was 8.7%, with a clade-based difference reported between Central African (10.6%, 95% CI 8.4%–13.3%) and West African (3.6%, 95% CI 1.7%–6.8%) clades. Interactions with infected animals or individuals are described as associated risk behaviors, and outbreaks beyond Africa are noted since 2003.
Public-health relevance
The review highlights the global relevance of monkeypox given its spread beyond endemic African settings and suggests that enhanced surveillance is needed to monitor its evolving epidemiology.
Important limitations
The supplied abstract does not enumerate explicit study limitations. The summary is constrained to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata, and the original full paper is required for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
This systematic review provides historical and epidemiological context relevant to monkeypox discoverability, including its geographic expansion and shifts in age distribution; however, no connection to a live surveillance signal is made here.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 14 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.