Explained | What is the Monkeypox virus and how is it transmitted?

The story so far: The United Kingdom health authorities recently confirmed a case of the monkeypox virus in an individual who recently travel to the U.K. from Nigeria. Past cases and outbreaks Since 1970, monkeypox cases have been recorded in 11 African countries including the ​​Central African Republic, DRC, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, and South Sudan. In 2017, Nigeria reported the biggest documented outbreak of monkeypox, 40 years after it reported the last confirmed case of the virus. Last year, two monkeypox cases were reported in the United States in Texas and Baltimore, with both individuals having returned from Nigeria.