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What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is an exotic infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. The disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys, thus providing it with its name, but in its natural state it seems to infect rodents more than primates. The disease is most prevalent in Central and West Africa, but an outbreak occurred also in the United States in 2003.

Human monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease that occurs primarily in remote villages of Central and West Africa in proximity to tropical rainforests where there is more frequent contact with infected animals. Monkeypox is usually transmitted to humans from rodents, pets, and primates through contact with the animal's blood or through a bite. Human monkeypox can be difficult to distinguish clinically from smallpox (to which it is closely related) and chickenpox (to which it is not).

Further Reading

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Monkeypox" All material adapted used from Wikipedia is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Wikipedia® itself is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Recent Monkeypox News

Scientists explain how smallpox viruses disrupt immune systemsA team of researchers working in a high containment laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, have solved a fundamental mystery about smallpox that has puzzled scien...Genomics can provide insights in understanding emerging infectious diseaseThis week, the Public Library of Science, an open-access publisher, presents the "Genomics of Emerging Infectious Disease," a collection of essays, perspectives, and reviews that explores how genomics...Poxvirus breakthroughSmallpox has a nasty history throughout the world.Experts say exotic pet pose health risks to young childrenExperts say exotic pets such as reptiles and monkeys should be discouraged in homes with small children or people with immune system problems, as they pose a health risk.Investigational smallpox drug may treat adenovirus infections in humansScientists at Saint Louis University have made two key discoveries that could lead to the first-ever human testing of a drug to target the adenovirus, which causes a number of severe upper-respiratory...
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