Only a handful of cases have been reported outside of Africa until now and they were confined to people with travel links to the continent.
The first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the infection has been reported in a number of central and western African countries since then. Monkeypox was first discovered when an outbreak of a pox-like disease occurred in monkeys kept for research in 1958.
However, it can also be transmitted through very close contact with an infected person. It is usually spread through direct contact with animals such as squirrels, which are known to harbour the virus. Monkeypox is a rare viral infection which people usually pick up in the tropical areas of west and central Africa.
