Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to page options Skip directly to site content

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name ‘monkeypox.’ The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox. Since then monkeypox has been reported in humans in other central and western African countries.

Related Links

Images of a child with monkeypox, a lab worker, and vaccine.

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus.

TOP