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).
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