The Pathogenic Characteristics of the Initial Three Mpox Cases in Hunan Province, China

Mpox virus （MPXV） belongs to the family Poxviridae,subfamily Chordopoxvirinae,and genus Orthopoxvirus,which also includes Variola virus（VARV）,Cowpox virus （CPXV）,and Vaccinia virus（VACV）.Clinical symptoms of mpox are similar to smallpox but are relatively milder [1] .MPXV was first isolated from crab-eating monkeys in the tropical rainforests of Africa in 1958 [2] .The first human case of MPXV infection was reported in the Congo in1970 [3] .Following the eradication of smallpox in1977,mpox has emerged as one of the prominent viral members of the Poxviridae family,significantly impacting public health [4] ,mainly prevalent in Central and West Africa.Starting from May 2022,