Recently, the world population became aware of emerging cases of new smallpox in 22 countries outside the African continent, including in Brazil, a zoonotic disease caused by the Monkeypox, of the genus Orthopoxvirus. In this same group is the virus that causes smallpox, a disease eradicated from the world in 1980, thanks to mass vaccination. Both viruses have similarities, but they are not the same. The first cases were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 13 this year.
The diseases caused by Orthopoxvirus have some characteristics in common, among them, the ability to cause skin lesions. Despite having similar symptoms, the smallpox that affects monkeys, differs in other aspects from the one that interferes with human health.
When “monkeypox” was discovered, it was so named because the virus was first isolated when primates were taken from Africa to a research laboratory in Denmark in 1958. The virus has now been detected in several species and the natural reservoir of the infection is still unknown, with rodents being one of the main suspects.
However, in the currently reported cases, it was not possible to identify an animal or place of origin of disease transmission. It is also necessary to emphasize that the transmission has occurred from person to person, that is, a community transmission between human beings.
Regrettably, since information about this new disease began to emerge, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of aggression against primates in various regions of the country. Due to erroneous associations on the part of society, several institutions related to research and health surveillance have clarified that, despite the disease being called monkeypox, the current outbreak does not involve these animals in the transmission to humans.