Clinical characteristics of patients with mpox infection in the United Arab Emirates: a prospective cohort study.

• First study from the United Arab Emirates on 176 mpox cases diagnosed in 2022. • Clinical characteristics of mpox in the United Arab Emirates are similar to cases in other countries. • Rare complications of mpox infection include myocarditis. • Cultural and religious factors may limit disclosure of sexual exposure. • Stigma of mpox may pose a barrier to diagnosis. The study aims to explore the risk factors, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of mpox infection in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). A prospective cohort study was conducted at two communicable disease centers in Abu Dhabi, UAE and patients admitted with confirmed mpox infections between May 01, 2022 and December 31, 2022 were included in our study. A total of 176 mpox patients were admitted, of which 93% (n = 164) were men and mean age was 30.4 ± 7 years. Individuals presented with mucocutaneous lesions, most commonly on the genital and anal regions (n = 157; 89%). Only 70 (39.8%) gave a history of sexual exposure. The most common systemic symptoms reported were fever (n = 91; 52%), exanthema (n = 92; 52%), and inguinal lymphadenopathy (n = 60; 34%). Median timeframe from systemic symptoms to appearance of lesions was 4 days (interquartile range 4-6 days). Complications were observed in seven (4%) participants; two (1.1%) individuals developed conjunctivitis, four (2.3%) patients developed penile edema, and one (0.6%) case of myocarditis was reported. In 60% (n = 106) of patients, a potential source of sexual exposure was not identified. The clinical characteristics of mpox cases in the UAE are similar to those in other countries. However, cultural and religious factors likely prevent patient disclosure of sexual exposure and symptoms, contributing to the limited information about the disease in the Middle East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]