What Is Monkeypox, and How Did It Spread in the United States?
Monkeypox is a rare, zoonotic, viral disease that occurs primarily in the rain forest countries in central and west Africa. (A zoonotic disease is a disease of animals that can be transmitted to humans under natural conditions.) The illness was first noted in monkeys in 1958 (which explains its name), but, in Africa, serologic evidence of monkeypox infection has been found in many other species, including some species of primates, rodents, and lagomorphs (which includes such animals as rabbits). African rodents are considered to be the most likely natural host of the monkeypox virus (Ref. 1). In humans, monkeypox is marked by rashes that are similar to those seen in smallpox; other signs and symptoms include a temperature at or above 99.3 degrees, chills and/or sweats, headache, backache, lymphadenopathy (a disease of the lymph nodes), sore throat, cough, and shortness of breath (Ref. 2). The disease’s incubation period is approximately 12 days (Ref. 3). In Africa, monkeypox has a mort
