The World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency on July 24, 2022.
At least 82,594 monkeypox infections have been reported from 108 countries so far
Monkeypox typically causes mild symptoms including fever, aches and skin lesions. People tend to recover within two to four weeks, according to the WHO. First identified in monkeys, the virus is transmitted chiefly through close contact with an infected person.
Until this year, the disease had rarely spread outside Africa, where it is endemic. But reports of a handful of cases in the United Kingdom in early May signalled that the outbreak had moved into Europe. It is now reported in at least 108 countries, according to data from Our World in Data.
The United States has reported 29,513 confirmed monkeypox cases as of December 9, followed by Brazil with 10,231 and Spain with 7,412 cases. Across the world, 65 people have reportedly died from monkeypox.
More on monkeypox
By
Prasanta Kumar Dutta
Source
Edited by
Jon McClure, Lisa Shumaker