mpox

American  

[em-poks] / ˈɛmˌpɒks /

noun

Pathology.

1. a disease caused by a virus of the genus Orthopoxvirus, clinically similar to but less severe than smallpox, and transmitted to humans via contact with an infected person or animal, or with a contaminated material: first identified in humans in 1970, outbreaks historically occurred mostly in central and western Africa, with the United States in 2003 having the first confirmed cases outside of Africa, followed by global outbreaks, especially in Europe and the Americas, that became increasingly reported in the 2020s. MPX

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Etymology

Origin of mpox

First recorded in 2022; partial abbreviation of monkeypox ( def. )

Example Sentences

The vaccine lowers the chance of getting either strain of mpox, and of suffering from severe illness if infected.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

So far this year, there have been 14.5 cases of mpox per week, compared with a rate of 3.4 over the comparable time period in 2025 and 5.8 for the comparable time period in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Bavarian Nordic, with $2.7 billion in 2025 U.S. revenue, and Emergent Biosolutions produce the two FDA-approved mpox vaccines.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

The WHO helped eradicate smallpox, established a framework that led to a dramatic worldwide reduction in tobacco use and helped control numerous pandemics, from Ebola to mpox to Zika.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

This finding indicated that OPG153 could serve as a valuable target for developing antibody-based therapies or for designing a new type of vaccine that activates the immune system to fight mpox.

From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2025