The Curious Case of Mpox: The 'Sexual Network' Theory on Why the Monkeypox Epidemic Waned

2022 saw a global outbreak of mpox, a viral infection that had not previously been documented as having sustained person-to-person transmission outside of Africa. There were more than 85,000 cases worldwide, with men who have sex with men at highest risk. Cases rose rapidly from May 2022, before starting to decline a few months later. The reasons the outbreak waned are unclear.