Monkeypox is not going to become the next COVID, but it still warrants attention.
The disease, which is caused by a virus, was first discovered in the 1950s in a colony of research monkeys in Europe (hence the name, monkeypox). The virus was eventually traced back to western and central Africa, where the first recorded human case was documented in 1970.
The virus occasionally infects people in Africa, particularly those who come in close contact with wildlife. This year, more than 1,700 cases have been detected in Africa, though more cases may have been unreported.
Though outbreaks outside of Africa have happened before-including in the United States-the current outbreak is the largest and most widespread, with almost 7,600 cases now confirmed worldwide (as of July 7). The current case count in the United States has risen to nearly 700, including 130 cases in the New York tri-state area.
We spoke with Jason Zucker, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, about monkeypox and what people in the United States need to know.
How worried should people be about monkeypox?
I think there's reason to be concerned about monkeypox, because the vast majority of cases are reported in countries where the virus is not endemic. Given how cases are rising in this country and others, and the outstanding investigations being done by our public health organizations, it is now clear that we are having local, person-to-person, transmission of this virus.
