The Worth Health Organization (WHO) will hold an emergency meeting to decide whether the monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.
That is the agency's highest level of warning, which currently applies only to the COVID-19 pandemic and polio.
Scientists are scrambling to understand what is driving the current outbreak, its origins and whether anything about the virus has changed.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a virus that is similar to, but less severe than, smallpox.
It was first discovered in 1958 in colonies of monkeys, which gave the disease its name.
The first case of monkeypox in a human was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Monkeypox mostly occurs in West and Central Africa and, until now, has very occasionally spread elsewhere.
There are two known clades — subtypes — of monkeypox:
- West Africa (WA)
- Congo Basin (CB)
The WHO says the CB clade appears to be more severe and has higher fatality rates.
Why is the WHO renaming it?
The WHO says it is working with experts to officially rename monkeypox amid concerns over stigma and racism around the virus's name.
The most recent cases of monkeypox have disproportionately involved gay and bisexual men.
There has already been a homophobic backlash against the LGBT community in some areas.
There are fears the discrimination this virus causes could be similar to the HIV epidemic in the 1980s.
The new name has not been announced.
What are the symptoms?
A person can develop symptoms of monkeypox between five and 21 days after being infected.
The WHO says the symptoms of monkeypox are:
- Fever
- Headache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Back pain
- Muscle aches
- Lack of energy
- A rash that turns into fluid or pus-filled lesions
Symptoms of monkeypox usually last for two to four weeks.
Similar to other pock diseases like chickenpox and cowpox, monkeypox can leave permanent scars.
How do you get it?
The WHO says monkeypox is spread through close contact with an infected person.
It can also be transmitted through infected particles on items such as bedding or towels.
In the past week, scientists have detected viral DNA in the semen of a handful of monkeypox patients in Italy and Germany.
The WHO is looking into these reports and is exploring the possibility that the disease could be sexually transmitted.
Where are the cases?
More than 1,900 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 30 countries where the virus is not endemic.
The WHO says the "sudden and unexpected" appearance in several regions suggests there may have been "undetected transmission for several weeks or longer".
The majority of monkeypox cases are in Europe, with the highest number reported in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Germany.
There are also cases in the Middle East, Israel, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Canada and parts of South America.
Australia's first case was reported on May 20, and there were eight cases as of June 10.
This year there have been more than 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox reported in Africa, of which 59 cases have been confirmed and there have been 79 deaths.
What is the treatment?
There is currently no specific treatment for monkeypox.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US says antivirals developed for treating smallpox may prove beneficial.
Several countries have ordered doses of the smallpox vaccine, which has been approved for use against monkeypox.
Smallpox is the only infectious disease to have been eliminated thanks to a global vaccination and surveillance program.
It was declared "eradicated" by the WHO in 1980, with the last known case reported in 1977.
with Reuters
