Just as public concern about the COVID-19 disease appears to be waning, public health authorities around the world are sounding the alarm yet again—this time about an outbreak of monkeypox.
There have been a few dozen confirmed and suspected cases reported across Europe in recent weeks as well as one confirmed case in Massachusetts. While the outbreak appears small so far, it’s been unusual in multiple regards.
Monkeypox is a viral disease from the same family as smallpox, but is less severe. People can catch it from wild animals—not just monkeys—and it’s been endemic in some African countries. Yet it rarely shows up elsewhere, and if it does, it’s usually in people who recently traveled to Africa….