What is Monkeypox?
Introduction Photo Courtesy: Oladimeji Adebayo In the past few months, cases of monkeypox have been increasing in Europe and United States. For instance, about two hundred cases of monkeypox disease have been reported in the United States and Europe. Some people might have heard about the disease before. However, in some parts of the world, 'monkey pox' is a new disease. So, what is monkeypox? This is an uncommon ailment. It is caused by the monkey virus, grouped under the family of proxviridae and orthopoxvirus genus. This genus also comprises the variola virus, responsible for smallpox infections. Other viruses in this genus encompass the cowpox virus and vaccinia virus (this virus is exploited in making a vaccine for smallpox). The name of the disease (monkeypox) originated from a monkey . In 1958, pox-like epidemics occurred in a group of monkeys kept for scientific research, and that is how the disease was named monkeypox. The first monkeypox infection was r