Monkey Pox is Back!

Many might not realize it, but monkey pox has never left us. This virus is an extremely rare viral disease that is somewhat like smallpox but is milder. The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a rash.  It originally began and was an issue in Central and West Africa in the 1970s. Monkey Pox didn’t affect anyone in the United States until 2003 when its first outbreak struck. This outbreak was said to be linked to imported African rodents that transmitted the virus to pet dogs which then eventually infected humans.

Taking a deeper dive in the outbreaks in the U.S, the first outbreak in 2003 was the most significant because it was the first time the virus had been reported outside of African. Though no one was reported dead, 71 people were reported to be severely affected. Animals like dogs and small rodents were the most infected throughout this outbreak. After this first outbreak, several measures were taken to prevent future outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) both enforced restrictions on the importation of African rodents and the sale of certain animals within the US. Public health officials also want an increase in awareness about the virus. The second significant outbreak occurred in 2022. This outbreak was much more extensive than the first one though there were still very few deaths. Like after the first outbreak public health officials ramped up efforts to control the spread of the virus. They increased awareness and more accessible vaccination options.

In America today, it is recorded that from 2022 to 2024 there were 32,063 confirmed cases and 58 deaths. More recently Monkey Pox cases have been spiking up and dropping significantly. Though the numbers dropped so much that in January 2024, CDC stopped updating the US case count. It’s safe to say that with our public health administration’s implanted rules and high attentive focus on the disease successfully decreasing the number of cases.