With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring Mpox constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC, on Aug. 14, it makes sense to be aware of the ocular manifestations of the viral infection. PHEIC is the WHO’s highest alert for a disease, advancing funding, international public health measures, and research to contain it. 

 “It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a WHO press release.

The Mpox virus has been running rampant in Africa, though its the surge of the clade 1b strain  in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in particular, that appears to have prompted the PHEIC designation, according to a WHO press release.

Mpox can enter the eye causing mild-to-severe blepharitis, conjunctivitis, corneal scarring, a corneal ulcer, keratitis and, rarely, loss of vision, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) .

Mpox symptoms include back pain, fever, headache, low energy, muscle aches, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash, according to WHO. The rash starts on the face and spreads throughout the body, appearing in stages of macules, papules, vesicles, and pustles.

Transmission of the virus occurs via close contact with infected animals, close contact with people (including intimate contact with someone who has Mpox), and direct contact with contaminated materials, the CDC reports.

For action steps on how to protect yourself and patients from its spread, see "Infection Prevention and Control of Mpox in Healthcare Settings," on the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/clinicians/infection-control-healthcare.html.