Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with human monkeypox infection in Zhejiang Province, China, 2023.

BACKGROUND

Monkeypox (Mpox), a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), is endemic in parts of Central and West Africa. Since 2022, an outbreak of the Mpox infection emerged in several non-endemic countries, posing a potential threat to human health. The first case in Zhejiang Province was confirmed in Hangzhou City on June 15, 2023. The objective of this study is to delineate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of monkeypox cases in Zhejiang Province in 2023, thereby providing a foundation for prevention and control measures.

METHODS

Data on all the confirmed monkeypox cases were collected to describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of monkeypox cases in Zhejiang Province in 2023. The spatial distribution of monkeypox cases was explored by means of ArcGIS software.

RESULTS

In 2023, a total of 182 cases of monkeypox were reported in Zhejiang Province, with no deaths. All infections represented autochthonous transmission and reported in 40 counties (districts) of 9 cities, except for Zhoushan and Lishui. All cases were male, with a median age of 29 years. Among them, 177 cases were men who have sexed with men (MSM), including 26 bisexual individuals. 43.96% of the cases had been previously infected with HIV. The five common clinical features of the monkeypox cases were rash or skin lesions, fever, itching, ache and lymphadenopathy. The most common sites of the lesions were the genitals, limbs, torso, face, and mouth.

CONCLUSION

The monkeypox epidemic is in a state of transmission and prevalence in some areas of Zhejiang Province. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain very close surveillance. A significant majority of laboratory-confirmed mpox cases were identified among men who have sex with men (MSM). Tailored interventions, including ‌mpox-specific symptom monitoring‌, health education, must be urgently implemented for MSM populations in high-transmission settings.