Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis, the pathogen monkeypox virus is a DNA virus, belonging to the poxviridae family orthpoxviridae, "close relatives" of smallpox virus. It was first discovered in 1958, isolated and identified from a group of monkeys used for research when they developed a "pox-like" infection, hence the name. Since the eradication of smallpox in 1980, monkeypox virus has become the most significant orpoxvirus affecting public health.

Monkeypox is mainly endemic in the west and central Africa, with the majority of cases reported to date in the DRC, Central African Republic, Nigeria and other African countries. Since the beginning of 2022, multiple monkeypox cases have been reported in more than 20 non-endemic countries, and human-to-human transmission has occurred.

The main hosts of monkeypox virus are African rodents (African squirrel, tree squirrel, Gambian kangaroo, dormouse, etc.). Monkeypox can be transmitted from animal to human and from person to person. People are infected when they come into direct contact with the blood, body fluids, skin or mucous membrane lesions of infected animals, or are bitten or scratched by infected animals. Transmission from person to person is mainly through close contact, but also through droplet transmission in close contact for a long time, and contact with contaminated items. The virus can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus via the placenta.

People who have previously been vaccinated against smallpox have some degree of cross-protection against monkeypox virus, so people who have not been vaccinated against smallpox are generally susceptible to monkeypox virus.

The clinical symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox, but the clinical symptoms is less severe. The incubation period is 5-21 days, mostly 6-13 days. The prodromal  symptoms are fever, chills, headache, lethargy, fatigue, back pain and myalgia , etc.. 90% of patients have obvious superficial lymph node enlargement in the neck, axilla, groin, etc.. One to three days after onset, the rashes appear first on the face and gradually spreads to the extremities, including the palms and soles of the feet. The skin rashes can go through several stages, including macules, papules, herpes, pustules and scabs. Different forms of skin rashes can exist at the same time, and the course of disease is about 2-4 weeks. After scabs fall off, erythema or pigment can be left behind, and scars even may be last for years. Complications may occur in some patients, eg, secondary bacterial infection of skin lesions, bronchopneumonia, encephalitis, and corneal infection.

Monkeypox is a self-limited disease with a good prognosis. Treatment are mainly aimed at symptomatic therapy  and secondary bacterial infection. Severe cases usually occurred in young children and people with low immune function. 

To prevent monkeypox, people should avoid going to areas where there is an epidemic, avoid contact with animals (rodents, marsupials, primates) that may carry monkeypox virus and objects they have touched. Once monkeypox cases are found, isolation measures should be taken in time to avoid human-to-human transmission.