Monkeypox virus
| Orthopoxvirus monkeypox | |
|---|---|
| Colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox virus particles (teal) found within an infected cell (brown), cultured in the laboratory. | |
| Virus classification | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Varidnaviria |
| Kingdom: | Bamfordvirae |
| Phylum: | Nucleocytoviricota |
| Class: | Pokkesviricetes |
| Order: | Chitovirales |
| Family: | Poxviridae |
| Genus: | Orthopoxvirus |
| Species: | Orthopoxvirus monkeypox |
| Clades | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
MPV, MPXV, hMPXV | |
The monkeypox virus (MPV, MPXV, or hMPXV) is a species of double-stranded DNA viruses that cause mpox disease in humans and other mammals. It is a zoonotic virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus, making it closely related to the variola, cowpox, and vaccinia viruses. MPV is oval, with a lipoprotein outer membrane. Its genome is approximately 190 kb. Smallpox and monkeypox viruses are both orthopoxviruses, and the smallpox vaccine is effective against mpox if given within 3–5 years before the disease is contracted. Symptoms of mpox in humans include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. The virus is transmissible between animals and humans by direct contact to the lesions or via bodily fluids.
The virus was given the name monkeypox virus after being isolated from monkeys, but most of the carriers of this virus are smaller mammals.
The virus is endemic in Central Africa, where infections in humans are relatively frequent. Though there are many natural hosts for the monkeypox virus, the exact reservoirs and how the virus is circulated in nature needs to be studied further.