File:Monkeypox Virus (52104277400).jpg. (2022). Retrieved from 
World health Organization reported a continuous decline of Coronavirus cases since the month of January 2022 (Labline, 2022; and, Kenny, 2022). However, despite the high possibility of finally ending the CoViD-19 pandemic, there is again another international disease outbreak that was reported in the month of January 2022. Unlike the coronavirus pandemic, this disease is not new. Besides, this was first detected in Africa in 1958 and was first transferred to a person in 1970 (United Nations, 2022). This disease is known as the human monkeypox.
What is a Human Monkeypox?
Human monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by an animal virus. This is not an airborne disease like the CoViD-19, but this is transmitted through contact with infected blood, mucosal lesions, and bodily fluids (African Union, n.d.).
History of Human Monkeypox
Monkeypox was coined in 1958 when this disease was uncovered in various laboratories for apes. Aside from apes, rodents such as gambian giant rats, dormice and squirrels are also identified to have the potential as reservoir for monkeypox virus (African Union, n.d.). It was in 1970 when this disease was first transferred to human beings. The monkeypox virus was transferred to a 9-month-old toddler in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He suffered from symptoms similar to smallpox’, yet it was more severe. Furthermore, smallpox was already eliminated in the country since 1968 (United Nations, 1962).
From 1970-1979, there were 38 human monkeypox confirmed cases in Central Africa while 9 cases from Western Africa. In 1980-1989, there were 355 confirmed monkeypox cases in Central Africa, and 1 confirmed case in Western Africa. From 1990 to 2009, 612 cases were already confirmed in central Africa, and 47 cases in Western Africa. From 2009-2019, there were 85 monkeypox confirmed cases in Central Africa, and 195 cases in Western Africa (Kozlov, 2022; and, Bunge, Hoet, Chen, et.al., 2022). From 2021 to April 2022, a combined number of 1315 cases was confirmed in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria with 67 combined deaths (World Health Organization, 2022).
Spread of Monkeypox outside Africa
The first monkeypox outbreak outside Africa happened in 2003 in United States, particularly in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin when animals from Ghana were shipped to Texas. There were about 800 small mammals that were shipped. Among these animals, monkeypox virus was detected in nine dormice, two African giant pouched rats, and three rope squirrels. Some of the infected mammals were sheltered temporarily near prairie dogs that were being sold. As a result, the dogs were infected that they infected about forty-seven individuals who had close contact with them. Fortunately, this outbreak was contained through the teamwork of CDC, public health departments, the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other agencies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).
However, in the month of January, monkeypox cases from non-endemic countries or states across four WHO regions specifically from the regions of Europe, Western Pacific, Africa, and Eastern Mediterranean were reported. As of June 15, 2022, there were 2103 confirmed cases and 1 death due to the said disease.
Confirmed monkeypox cases by WHO region from January 2022 to 15 June 2022
*Table was exactly taken from
World Health Organization. (2020). Multi-country monkeypox outbreak: situation update. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON393
As of July 29, 2022, there were already 22, 141 confirmed cases in countries without monkeypox history while there were 344 confirmed cases in countries with monkeypox history.
Below is a map that shows the location of those individuals that were infected by monkeypox virus as of July 29, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak Global Map. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html
For the next article, you’ll know the signs and symptoms of monkeypox, how they classify monkeypox cases, and how to protect ourselves from such disease.
REFERENCES:
Kenny P. (2022). COVID-19 cases continue to decline globally: WHO. Retrieved from https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-coronavirus-outbreak/covid-19-cases-continue-to-decline-globally-who/2569563
Labline. (2022). Global COVID cases decline 11%, fatalities down 3%. Retrieved from https://www.mlo-online.com/disease/infectious-disease/article/21269706/global-covid-cases-decline-11-fatalities-down-3
United Nations. (2022). Monkeypox: How it spreads, who’s at risk - here’s what you need to know. Retrieved from https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1123212
Bunger E,. Hoet B., et. Al. (2022). The changing epidemiology of human monkeypox—A potential threat? A systematic review. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010141
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Past U.S. Cases and Outbreaks. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/outbreak/us-outbreaks.html
African Union. (n.d.). Monkeypox. Retrieved from https://africacdc.org/disease/monkeypox/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak Global Map. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html
World Health Organization. (2020). Multi-country monkeypox outbreak: situation update. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON393
File:Monkeypox Virus (52104277400).jpg. (2022). Retrieved from