The monkeypox virus is the uncommon illness known as monkeypox. It causes flu-like symptoms and a rash. It is a member of the orthopoxvirus family, which also includes the more well-known smallpox virus.
Two outbreaks of a condition resembling the pox that were occurring in groups of monkeys being used for research led to the discovery of monkeypox in 1958. Although skin-to-skin contact with an infected person can sometimes spread the disease, rodent interaction with sick humans accounts for the majority of its transmission. The monkeypox virus has two distinct kinds (clades), one of which originated in Central Africa and the other in West Africa. The less dangerous West African clade is the origin of the current global pandemic (2022).