Monkeypox has spread rapidly among men who have sex with men; Network effects.

"Will it spread further?

Since monkeypox started spreading in Europe in May, over 38,000 cases have been reported around the world. Infections have affected a narrow group of people. Fully 99% of confirmed cases are in men, and among the third of cases for which more detailed information is available, 97% are in men who have sex with men.

Where known, 91% of cases are reported to be contracted through sexual encounters. After identifying numerous locations where two or more people who later tested positive said they had been at the same time, a group of British epidemiologists found that many were in places where casual sex is common, such as sex clubs, festivals and nightclubs, including some outside Britain. The evidence suggests that monkeypox is circulating within sex networks of mostly gay and bisexual men, many of whom travel internationally.

Will monkeypox see sustained spread in the general population? One yet to be published paper suggests that this is unlikely. Too few adults have the number of sex partners needed to sustain transmission during the few days or weeks when they are contagious.” [1]

1. "Monkeypox has spread rapidly among men who have sex with men; Network effects." The Economist, 23 Aug. 2022, p. NA.