Monkeypox: It's A Rave Story

Monkeypox returns as a new and concerning infectious disease that has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. First founded in 1958 by researchers in Denmark, it is a smallpox-like skin disease that is non-lethal. Monkeys and other primates are accidental hosts of this virus as it naturally comes from African rodents. The virus is spread through physical contact with fluids and indirectly through respiratory secretions and areas already exposed to the virus that can be picked up through contact.

Today, May 7, the U.K. public health authorities announced that there was a case of human monkeypox infections that came from a traveler from Nigeria. From then on, 550 confirmed cases have occurred and have been reported in 29 other countries as well. While it is prevalent in males having sex with other males, it is not known to be sexually transmitted. Correlation does not mean causation.

While the disease is mild, it can cause severe illness or even result in death. The Central African variant and the West African Variant have a 3.6% and 10.6% mortality rate, respectively. While no deaths have been confirmed yet from cases outside of Africa, it can be confirmed that the countries where the virus has gone have been due to the West African Variant.

We believe that monkeypox will not become a viral disease. It is simply too weak to carry on in non-endemic regions. The reproduction number for both the variants is significantly low and for it to spread would simply require a lot more transmission circumstances as well as production of the virus. The West African variant, in particular, is too low to sustain human-to-human transmission outside of endemic areas.

But just to be safe, don't jump in a pool. You never know who has monkeypox.