The monkeypox outbreak is raising alarm in Europe and the US.
Monkeypox is a virus that causes a fever and a distinctive bumpy rash. The two main strains are the Congo strain and the west African strain. The Congo strain is more severe with up to 10% mortality while the west African strain has mortality of 1%.
The disease spreads through close contact, and it mostly occurs in west and central Africa. It occasionally spreads elsewhere; however, infections have been confirmed in nine European countries, as well as the US, Canada, and Australia.
The virus doesn’t spread easily between people, and experts say that the risk is low to the wider public. However, this time, the spread is puzzling experts because a number of cases in the UK have no known connections. The UK and US health officials also highlighted that the recent cases were predominantly men who self-identified as gay or bisexual.
No specific vaccine exists for monkeypox; however, a smallpox vaccine offers 85% protection because of virus similarities.