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

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