Historically, monkeypox (mpox) was a zoonotic disease endemic in Africa. However, in 2022, a global outbreak occurred following a substantial increase in cases in Africa, coupled with spread by international travellers to other continents. Between January 2022 and October 2023, about 91,000 confirmed cases from 115 countries were reported, leading the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency. The basic biology of monkeypox virus (MPXV) can be inferred from other poxviruses, such as vaccinia virus, and confirmed by genome sequencing. Here the biology of MPXV is reviewed, together with a discussion of adaptive changes during MPXV evolution and implications for transmission. Studying MPXV biology is important to inform specific host interactions, to aid in ongoing outbreaks and to predict those in the future.

历史上，猴痘（mpox）是非洲流行的一种人畜共患疾病。然而，2022年，非洲病例大幅增加，加上国际旅行者传播到其他大陆，全球爆发了疫情。 2022年1月至2023年10月期间，115个国家报告了约91,000例确诊病例，导致世界卫生组织宣布进入公共卫生紧急状态。猴痘病毒（MPXV）的基本生物学可以从其他痘病毒（例如牛痘病毒）推断出来，并通过基因组测序得到证实。本文回顾了 MPXV 的生物学，并讨论了 MPXV 进化过程中的适应性变化以及对传播的影响。研究 MPXV 生物学对于了解特定宿主相互作用、帮助持续爆发以及预测未来爆发非常重要。