Monkeypox is a virus generally spread either by contact with an infected animal or through human-to-human transmission through bodily fluids.
There are two strains, the Congo strain, and the West African Strain. The Congo Strain is more severe and can be fatal in children.
There are 127 confirmed cases in Western Europe, Canada, America, and Australia. These cases come from the West African Strain and are related to cases found in Britain, Israel, and Singapore in 2018 and 2019.
According to the United Nations AIDS Agency, “a significant proportion” of the cases are among adult men known to have had sex with other men. According to MSN, “most of the cases have been detected in the LGBTQ community.”
Dr. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the U.K. Health Security Agency issued a statement saying, “We are particularly urging men who are gay and bisexual to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay.”
There are three confirmed cases in the USA. These are the first American cases since 2003 when an adult male allegedly got the virus from a prairie dog. A man from Massachusetts developed Monkeypox after returning from Canada. Two other men have developed Monkeypox, one from Florida and one from New York. It is unknown if they have traveled outside the USA recently.
The largest number of confirmed cases are in Portugal and Spain.
