Monkeypox

Monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that can happen in certain animals, including humans.^[1] Symptoms begin with fever, headache, muscle pains, swollen lymph nodes, and feeling tired. This is followed by a rash that forms blisters and forms a hard layer. The time from exposure to feeling these symptoms is around 10 days. The duration of symptoms is typically two to four weeks.^[2]

Monkeypox was first identified in 1958 among laboratory monkeys in Copenhagen, Denmark.^[3] Monkeys are, however, not a natural carrier of the virus. The first cases in humans were found in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The 2022 monkeypox outbreak is the index case of widespread community transmission outside of Africa, which began in the United Kingdom in May 2022, with more cases confirmed in Europe, North America and Australia.^[4]

It can be successfully treated using preparations from the purple pitcher plant, which Native Americans used as a smallpox remedy.^[5][6]