Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39971582›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2025

Estimating the burden of mpox among MSM in South Africa.

Ruth McCabe, Leigh F Johnson, Lilith K Whittles

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Ruth McCabeMRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6368-9103
Leigh F JohnsonUniversity of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2717-011X
Lilith K WhittlesMRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK l.whittles@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8913-0391

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite seeing few cases during the 2022-2023 mpox global outbreak, reports in May-July 2024 of 22 cases among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) in South Africa, including three deaths, have raised concerns about under-reported community transmission. We used a Monte Carlo simulation model to estimate the true epidemic size, considering the increased severity of mpox among MSM living with advanced HIV, documented over-representation of people living with HIV among mpox cases and HIV prevalence in South Africa. We estimate that there have been between 220 and 450 cases among MSM LHIV in South Africa, with a total of 290-560 cases among all MSM. We provide an upper bound of 750-1600 cases as a sensitivity analysis where the prevalence of HIV among mpox patients is the same as population prevalence among MSM in South Africa. Estimates in both scenarios suggest a substantial number of undetected cases, with case ascertainment rates estimated between 1% and 8%. Our findings underscore the need for enhanced surveillance, targeted public health interventions and awareness campaigns to mitigate the outbreak's impact at a population level.

Indexed as

Disease OutbreaksHIV InfectionsHomosexuality, MaleAdultHumansMaleMonte Carlo MethodMpox, MonkeypoxPrevalenceSouth AfricaEpidemiology

Identifiers

PMID39971582
PMCPMC11840921

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.