Monkeypox Virus and Current Trends: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Published Literature Based on VOSviewer.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The World Health Organization declared the current monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on July 23, 2022, as it has posed a great threat to human health. This bibliometric analysis aimed to explore the current research hotspots focused on monkeypox. METHODS: A systematic search of the Web of Science Core Collection database was conducted for published articles on monkeypox from database inception to February 23, 2023. VOSviewer software was used for analysis and visualization of research results. RESULTS: A total of 1646 publications on monkeypox virus were included for bibliometric analysis. Results showed that (1) the number of publications about monkeypox virus increased significantly in 2022, (2) smallpox and monkeypox virus were popular research keywords, (3) the United States has made the most significant contribution to the study of monkeypox virus, (4) Journal of Virology was the most active journal in publishing articles about monkeypox, and (5) research themes mainly included the body's reaction after monkeypox infection, epidemiology, diagnosis, and pathological mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should focus on early sensitive diagnostic measures of monkeypox and the development of vaccines based on the characteristics of the virus. Study findings also provided key areas for public health experts to focus on and collaborate with policymakers.