Human Behavior and the Containment of Mpox Outbreaks

Dear Editor, Mpox (monkeypox) is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, manifesting in the form of a painful rash, lymphadenopathy, and fever.[1] The available global estimates suggest that in the year 2024, as of October 4, 2024, a cumulative of 11,095 cases of the disease has been reported, with confirmed cases being reported from 50 nations.[2] In addition, 50 people have lost their lives due to disease-associated complications, amounting to a global case fatality rate of 0.004%.[2] Owing to the spread of disease across various nations, the World Health Organization declared the disease a public health emergency of international concern on August 14, 2024.[1] Humans and their behaviors are crucial to the spread of the disease worldwide, especially because the infection can be transmitted by close contact with the infected person.[1] In fact, people who are involved as caregivers for infected individuals and are not using proper personal protective measures (namely not wearing gloves or masks) or are sharing personal items with those who are infected, have a high probability of acquiring the infection.[1] Moreover, participation of individuals in crowded places, where there is a high risk of coming in close contact with others is a high-risk behavior to acquire as well as transmit the infection.[1] Amid the impending globalization, people who are either traveling to or from affected regions and do not adhere to standard precautions-cum-advisory become a major potential source for disease spread.[1-3] Concerning human behavior, many challenges have been identified that could interfere with the containment of the monkeypox outbreak [Table 1]. The lack of awareness about the symptoms of the disease and the way it is transmitted is one of the biggest challenges in reducing the spread of the infection.[1,4] In continuation, due to the lack of awareness, people often indulge in different cultural practices that involve close physical contact, which can aid in the transmission of the causative virus.[4] Another major concern is the lack of trust in government health institutions or public health policies, which accounts for either resistance or nonadherence to infection prevention and control measures.[3,5]Table 1: Identified challenges and potential solutionsFinancial pressure and vocational opportunities have compelled people to travel from one nation/region to another and this has massively contributed to the spread of the disease in more than 120 nations.[1,5] Finally, improper usage of personal protective equipment while taking care of diagnosed cases can again result in the onward transmission of the disease.[1] Acknowledging the presence of these challenges, there is an immense need for a targeted, culturally sensitive, and multipronged approach involving different stakeholders, including the community to arrest the speed of the overall outbreak, as enlisted in Table 1.[1,3-5] In conclusion, the current monkeypox outbreak has questioned the extent of preparedness of public health authorities in preventing or containing an infectious disease. Realizing the importance of human behavior in both the spread and containment of the disease, there is an immense need for individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors to minimize the impact of the disease. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.