What is Monkey pox?

Monkey pox is a rare type of viral infection that causes severe itching and blisters. It’s spread by contact with animals, including monkeys and rodents, who carry the virus.

It's called "monkey pox" because it was first discovered in monkeys, but it can also affect humans.

The good news? The World Health Organization reports that while monkey pox is serious and can be deadly, it has a low rate of spreading from person to person.

That means the risk of a world pandemic is very low—but there are still some things you should know about monkey pox.

How does monkey pox spread?

The virus is spread from animals to humans through contact with infected animals or their bodily fluids (such as blood or saliva). Humans can also get monkey pox by handling tissue from infected animals or by inhaling their droppings.

The virus is similar to smallpox, but affects different parts of the body and is much less deadly (though still pretty serious). A person who contracts monkey pox will experience a high fever and extreme fatigue for about two weeks before developing rashes on their face and body. They may also experience pain in their joints and muscles due to swelling. The rash typically appears first on the face, hands, elbows and feet before spreading across the rest of the body over time; some people develop sores in their mouth, too (notably around lips).

There is no vaccine for monkey pox at this time—the only way to prevent yourself from contracting it is by avoiding contact with animals or people.

How lethal is monkey pox?

Although monkey pox is not highly contagious among humans (it takes close contact with an infected individual), it has a very high mortality rate if contracted. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "approximately 10% of people with monkey pox die from the disease." It’s important to note that this number varies widely depending on how quickly treatment begins after infection.

Could monkey pox cause a world pandemic?

As the world continues to panic over monkey pox, it's important to remember that we're not in the dark ages anymore. We have the internet and a plethora of medical resources at our fingertips—we can use these resources to learn about monkey pox and help keep ourselves safe from it.

The first thing you need to know about monkey pox is that it's not exactly new: it was first identified in 1958, but has been known to affect humans since at least 1950! The disease got its name because of its similarity to smallpox (which is why it used to be called "smallpox-like scalded skin"). But unlike smallpox, monkey pox isn't as easily transmitted between people; most cases occur when humans come into contact with monkeys or their bodily fluids.

It's important for everyone who lives in a country where monkeys are prevalent (that is, pretty much all countries on Earth) to know what symptoms they should watch out for. If you notice any of these symptoms—rash-like bumps on your skin that blister or ooze fluid, fever and chills, headache, muscle aches—you should seek medical attention immediately.

To sum up,
If you've spent any amount of time on social media recently, chances are you've seen several posts about monkey pox, a disease that can spread like the common cold between people… except it's worse. It's highly contagious, and can be spread from human to human. There are plenty of other things to be worried about in 2022: climate change, terrorism, covid.
Monkeypox isn't one of them.