Monkeypox: What is it?

HIBAPRESS-RABAT-WHO

Monkeypox is a disease caused by the simian orthopoxvirus. It is a viral infection that can spread between people and sometimes from the environment to people through objects and surfaces that have been touched by a person with monkeypox.

In environments where the orthopox virus is present in some wild animals, it can also be transmitted from infected animals to people who come into contact with them.

After a series of consultations with global experts, WHO has begun using the new preferred term “monkeypox” as a synonym for monkeypox.