Ever since it was first reported in humans in 1970, monkeypox virus infections have been largely restricted to countries in Central and Eastern Africa until recently. Early in 2022, multiple cases were identified in Spain and several cases were reported from countries where the disease is not endemic, including regions in Europe and North America, and in patients with no history of travel to endemic regions.
Following a rapid rise in cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23, 2022 declared the 2022 monkeypox outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). As of early August 2022, over 25,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 83 countries, 76 of which have never historically reported monkeypox.
