Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. An epidemic of Monkeypox is currently gathering steam throughout the world, leading some people to wonder if this is a situation of “here we go again,” but scientists say the likelihood of another pandemic with monkeypox as the cause is very low.

See a healthcare provider if you notice a new or unexplained rash or other monkeypox symptoms. Remind the healthcare provider that monkeypox is present in the United States. Avoid close contact (including intimate physical contact) with others until you see a healthcare provider. Avoid close contact with pets or other animals until you see a healthcare provider. If you’re waiting for test results, follow the same precautions. If your test result is positive, stay isolated and observe other prevention practices until your rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed. Remain isolated if you have a fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough. Only go out to see a healthcare provider or for an emergency. Avoid public transportation.

If you must leave isolation, cover the rash and wear a well-fitting mask.Monkeypox is endemic (occurring naturally at a baseline level) in about a dozen countries in Central and Western Africa, but the current outbreak has greatly expanded the geographic reach of the disease. So far, 80 countries where monkeypox does not normally exist have reported more than 26,000 cases. As of early July, over 6,000 cases have been reported, mostly in the United Kingdom and Europe. Australia and South America have also seen cases. The United States identified its first monkeypox case of 2022 on May 18 in a man who had just returned from Canada. Within six weeks, the U.S. monkeypox count grew to 460 cases in 30 states. Monkeypox-endemic countries in Africa account for just over 1,000 of the total outbreak cases so far in 2022. This is about half of their expected yearly incidence of 2,000 monkeypox cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are tracking the epidemic of monkeypox and are advising both medical professionals and the public on ways to manage it. WHO chose not to declare the outbreak a global health emergency under the International Health Regulations in late June for the same reason that it is not likely to spark another pandemic: Sustained transmission isn’t easily happening between humans. With prompt recognition and isolation of infected people, monkeypox outbreaks tend to resolve as quickly as they emerge.

Monkeypox is an emerging infectious disease that is caused by the Monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same genus as the Variola virus, the cause of smallpox. Monkeypox disease is similar to Smallpox, but is usually much less severe. The incubation period can range from five to 21 days, and the first symptoms that appear tend to include fever, muscle aches, and significant fatigue. Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the outer layer of the eye and the inner eyelid) and swollen lymph nodes can also develop. Within a few days of developing fever, a raised rash appears, typically first on the face and then spreading to the trunk and extremities, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The rash lesions become fluid filled, then eventually crust over and slough off. The person can infect others until the lesions are completely healed, in about four weeks. Diagnosis is suspected based on symptoms and travel history, and can be confirmed with PCR analysis of the infectious material taken from a lesion.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. An epidemic of Monkeypox is currently gathering steam throughout the world, leading some people to wonder if this is a situation of “here we go again,” but scientists say the likelihood of another pandemic with monkeypox as the cause is very low.

See a healthcare provider if you notice a new or unexplained rash or other monkeypox symptoms. Remind the healthcare provider that monkeypox is present in the United States. Avoid close contact (including intimate physical contact) with others until you see a healthcare provider. Avoid close contact with pets or other animals until you see a healthcare provider. If you’re waiting for test results, follow the same precautions. If your test result is positive, stay isolated and observe other prevention practices until your rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed. Remain isolated if you have a fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough. Only go out to see a healthcare provider or for an emergency. Avoid public transportation.

If you must leave isolation, cover the rash and wear a well-fitting mask.Monkeypox is endemic (occurring naturally at a baseline level) in about a dozen countries in Central and Western Africa, but the current outbreak has greatly expanded the geographic reach of the disease. So far, 80 countries where monkeypox does not normally exist have reported more than 26,000 cases. As of early July, over 6,000 cases have been reported, mostly in the United Kingdom and Europe. Australia and South America have also seen cases. The United States identified its first monkeypox case of 2022 on May 18 in a man who had just returned from Canada. Within six weeks, the U.S. monkeypox count grew to 460 cases in 30 states. Monkeypox-endemic countries in Africa account for just over 1,000 of the total outbreak cases so far in 2022. This is about half of their expected yearly incidence of 2,000 monkeypox cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are tracking the epidemic of monkeypox and are advising both medical professionals and the public on ways to manage it. WHO chose not to declare the outbreak a global health emergency under the International Health Regulations in late June for the same reason that it is not likely to spark another pandemic: Sustained transmission isn’t easily happening between humans. With prompt recognition and isolation of infected people, monkeypox outbreaks tend to resolve as quickly as they emerge.

Monkeypox is an emerging infectious disease that is caused by the Monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same genus as the Variola virus, the cause of smallpox. Monkeypox disease is similar to Smallpox, but is usually much less severe. The incubation period can range from five to 21 days, and the first symptoms that appear tend to include fever, muscle aches, and significant fatigue. Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the outer layer of the eye and the inner eyelid) and swollen lymph nodes can also develop. Within a few days of developing fever, a raised rash appears, typically first on the face and then spreading to the trunk and extremities, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The rash lesions become fluid filled, then eventually crust over and slough off. The person can infect others until the lesions are completely healed, in about four weeks. Diagnosis is suspected based on symptoms and travel history, and can be confirmed with PCR analysis of the infectious material taken from a lesion.