Monkeypox is a disease predominantly recorded in Central and West Africa, but recent cases in countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and the United States have alarmed the World Health Organization.

This disease is transmitted from person to person through close contact of humans with infected wild animals or their bodily fluids.

Monkey disease and human smallpox have a different origin, explains epidemiologist Christian Mejía, professor of the Human Medicine program at Norbert Wiener University.

“One of the first differences has to do with the origin of the virus, which is very similar if not smallpox. It should be noted that the virus probably originated from contact and/or consumption of monkey meat in the Congo in the 1970s.”

Although the symptoms of monkeypox and smallpox are similar, those of the previous type are usually milder. According to the epidemiologist, inflammation of the lymph nodes is a symptom without smallpox.

“Although in both cases there are general symptoms such as fever, malaise and fatigue, monkeypox produces ganglionitis. Finally, we find that smallpox has been eradicated, but that monkeypox is still common in many African countries and therefore mainly affects those who have not been vaccinated against smallpox. It should be noted,” he said.

There is currently no vaccine against monkeypox, but WHO notes that the vaccine against human smallpox showed an efficacy of 85% against monkeypox, because the viruses that cause both diseases are similar.

However, the smallpox vaccine is not currently available to humans as production has been discontinued since 1980 after the global eradication of smallpox..