Monkeypox may have been spreading out of Africa for years under the guise of sexually transmitted infections before Western coutnries identified the outbreak in May.
Monkeypox cases may have been spreading out of Africa undetected for years before the initial case was confirmed on May 13, according to the World Health Organization.that does not pose anything like the threat of COVID-19. Typically, Monkeypox cases are only found in those outside of Africa when an individual has recently traveled to the continent. The cases in May popped up nearly simultaneously across the globe in people who have not recently been to Africa, however.
"The sudden and unexpected appearance of monkeypox simultaneously in several non-endemic countries suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events," the WHO wrote. Cases outside of Africa are currently centered around Europe and North America, as well as Australia.