WHO has reported cases of smallpox in the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain and several other countries
Health organizations have reported cases of monkeypox that have already been reported in the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom and several other countries. The first cases of infection, reported May 7, were reported in two U.K. residents after their trip to Nigeria. Infection has since been found in people in Europe or in tourists from other continents who have returned from trips abroad, including Europe. However, experts doubt that the new cases have anything to do with the first two. At present, it remains unknown how and under what circumstances monkeypox is contracted. Most of those infected are young men between the ages of 21 and 40.
It is known that the virus can be sexually transmitted
An unusually high proportion of LGBT people among those infected has been reported. Six out of nine confirmed cases in the United Kingdom involve gay or bisexual men. The monkeypox virus was previously thought not to be capable of sexual transmission like syphilis, but is known to require close contact with an infected person to spread. The virus can enter the body through damaged skin, respiratory tract, and through the mucosa of the eyes, nose, or mouth. Infection also occurs through contact with infected animals such as monkeys, rats, and squirrels, or through items such as bedding or clothing.
