Monkeypox cases have been documented or are suspected in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.
The outbreaks are alarming since the viral illness, which was initially discovered in monkeys and spreads through close contact, is primarily prevalent in west and central Africa and only very rarely moves abroad.
Here's what scientists have learned thus far.
'EXTREMELY RARE'
The virus that causes monkeypox causes fever and a unique bumpy rash. It is typically moderate, but there are two primary strains: the Congo strain, which is more severe and can result in up to 10% death, and the West African strain, which has a fatality rate of approximately 1%. The West African cases have been recorded in the UK.
"There have been very few examples exported in the past. It has only happened eight times before this year, according to Jimmy Whitworth, an international public health professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who described it as "very rare." ".
Five confirmed cases have been reported in Portugal, while Spain is evaluating 23 possible cases. Neither nation has previously recorded any incidents.
One case has also been recorded in the United States. continue reading
TRANSMISSION
The virus spreads by intimate contact, both from animals and, less frequently, from people. It was initially discovered in monkeys in 1958, thus the name, although rodents are now thought to be the most likely animal host.
Experts are baffled by this time's transmission since a lot of the cases in the United Kingdom - nine as of May 18 - have no known connections. The first instance, which was recorded on May 6, had just recently visited Nigeria.
As a result, doctors have cautioned that if instances go undetected, the disease will spread further.
The UK Health Security Agency's advisory also stated that the new instances were primarily among males who self-identified as homosexual, bisexual, or having sex with men, and warned such individuals to be vigilant.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that scientists are currently performing genome sequencing to establish if the viruses are connected.