The importance of differentiating monkeypox from chickenpox: possible response for better preparedness

Abstract

Dear Editor-in-Chief Monkeypox is a global public health concern that needs serious attention to prevent it from spreading worldwide and encountering a new pandemic like COVID-19 again. Since the 1970s, monkeypox has been endemic in several African countries, but the biggest outbreak of monkeypox started in May 2022 in non-endemic countries (1). On June 23, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox an "emerging threat of moderate public concern" due to the observation of more than 3,000 cases of monkeypox in more than 50 countries from five regions of the world in less than three months (2). Although monkeypox is a mild and self-limiting disease, it can cause severe consequences in pregnant women, children, and immunocompromised individuals (1). In this article, the authors described the epidemiology and clinical features of monkeypox and chickenpox in order to better equip clinicians and public health specialists to provide a correct and timely diagnosis.

Keywords

• chickenpox
• differentiating
• monkeypox