Amir Yunus, a virologist with Universiti Sains Malaysia, said mpox is more stable than the coronavirus, and not prone to the same kind of rapid mutations that made Covid-19 so deadly.

“Mpox is in the same category as smallpox, genetically speaking, which makes it much less likely to mutate into more dangerous forms,” he told FMT. “It’s not going to be as bad as Covid-19 or other respiratory outbreaks.”

Amir said mpox spreads through direct contact rather than through the air, which naturally limits its transmission.

What do we do to prevent it?

Kumitaa Theva Das, a virologist at USM’s Institute for Molecular Medicine, said that one way to prevent mpox was by practising good hygiene.

“This virus spreads through close contact, including skin-to-skin contact and contaminated materials, so maintaining good hygiene is crucial.”

A person could contract mpox from sitting on a chair that an infected person had occupied recently, she said. The virus can “get stuck on a seat” and the person could become infected if they unknowingly touch their eyes, nose, or mouth afterwards.

The virus could also enter the bloodstream if the person has an open cut or wound, she said.

She said the virus could also spread through sexual intercourse, which posed a high risk for infection.

Smallpox vaccines can help

Kumitaa said the mpox vaccine remains a strong defence if given within four days of exposure.

Kumitaa said those born before 1980 have some protection against mpox, as that generation received vaccination for smallpox. That year was when smallpox was declared to have been eradicated and no further vaccinations were administered after that.

“Mpox has re-emerged because immunity declined after smallpox vaccinations stopped in 1980. Increased human-animal contact, global travel, and urbanisation have helped the virus spread,” she said.

She said the World Health Organization and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that those with smallpox vaccines were 85% better protected against mpox.

Kumitaa said the virus has an incubation period from one to 21 days. Immediate isolation would be called for when symptoms occur, such as fever, muscular aches, and the characteristic large, boil-like skin lesions.