The goal of this observational study is to describe possible physical and psychological sequelae after an mpox infection and to evaluate the longevity of B- and T-cell immune responses in former mpox patients and vaccine recipients.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Are there any physical or pschological sequelae after mpox infection? * Is the humoral and/or cellular immune response to MPOX (or vaccinia) virus) durable? * Do the patients develop strong local immunity in comparison to systemic immunity? * How long is the virus still detectable in semen, saliva or the ano-rectal region?
Participants will answer a questionnaire, samples with blood, saliva and semen as well as anal swabs will be collected. Follow-up visits 8, 16 and 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after infection or vaccination are planned.
A healthy control group will be recruited in our HIV-PrEP clinic.
PCR-confirmed mpox infection since May 2022
≥18 years
Willingness to provide written informed consent
Willingness to follow the study schedule
Any vaccination 2 weeks before or after the visits (4 weeks for life-vaccines)
Any immune-compromising drugs or diseases (treated and controlled HIV-infection is no exclusion criteria)
Any mpox reinfection since study start
At least two smallpox vaccinations.