What is monkeypox ?
This viral infection gets its name from first being discovered among lab monkeys in Denmark in 1958, although its natural reservoir remains unknown. It’s a cousin of the now eradicated smallpox virus.
The first human infections date back to 1970 and cases are rare, occurring mainly in central and Western Africa, where the virus is endemic. Until recently, the only four identified human cases in the UK were in 2018. But since the start of May 2022, there’s been an outbreak in a number of countries where the disease isn’t endemic, including Canada, the USA, Australia, Israel, the UK and several EU member states.
How does the virus spread then? What are the symptoms of monkeypox? How worried should we be then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions !
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A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.
In partnership with upday UK.
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