CDC/AAMC Resource Guide on Mpox
Updated Jan. 19, 2024
Editor's Note: In November 2023, following guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adopted “Mpox” as the term used to refer to monkeypox disease.
Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) is a rare disease caused by infection with the Mpox virus, similar to the smallpox virus. Mpox may cause fever, chills, muscle aches, and fatigue, along with rash and lesions on the skin. It is spread by close contact with an infected individual.
2022-2023 Outbreak Timeline
- May 2022: Mpox cases were discovered in Europe and the United States and eventually spread to 113 countries across the globe.
- July 23, 2022: The WHO declared Mpox as a global health emergency.
- August 4, 2022: The the Biden administration subsequently declared Mpox a public health emergency in the United States.
- May 11, 2023: The WHO declared an end to the global public health emergency for the Mpox outbreak.
- As of December 19, 2023: Global health data indicates that Mpox has infected more than 92,700 individuals around the world, and more than 31,600 cases in the United States.
Vaccination remains the best method of protection against infection.
The CDC, state and local health authorities, and the AAMC and its member institutions are delivering the latest information to prevent and treat Mpox. In June 2022, the CDC and the AAMC developed guidelines for practicing physicians, and AAMCNews published an article on what the public needs to know about the disease.
The CDC's Mpox Resource Page provides the most up-to-date data on the Mpox outbreak in the United States and guidance — including prevention and treatment — for individuals and healthcare professionals.
For Physicians and Health Care Providers
AAMC Resources
- CDC and AAMC Resource Guide (June 2022)
- Clinician Checklist (June 2022)
For the Public
- AAMCNews: Mpox: What it is, how it spreads, treatments, and vaccines (June 2022)
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has created a public information resource. (May 2022)