Front Burner

Monkeypox: Everything you need to know

As more and more monkeypox infections are recorded around the world, we take a look at the risks the virus poses and what to do about them.
A test tube is labelled positive for monkeypox. The disease was first detected in humans in 1970, but it has rarely spread beyond Central and West Africa, until now. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Monkeypox was first detected in humans in 1970, but it has rarely spread beyond Central and West Africa, until now. As of Tuesday, 17 countries where the virus is not endemic have reported at least one case, including Canada.

Given that COVID-19 is still part of our day-to-day lives, the threat of another infectious disease spreading at a rapid rate feels unsettling at best. While there are many reasons to be aware of monkeypox, its symptoms and how it spreads, there are also plenty of reasons not to panic.  

Today on Front Burner, Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases doctor and scientist from Cameroon who is currently based at Emory University in Atlanta, delivers a primer on what you need to know about monkeypox. She also dispels some rumours about how it spreads and explains where we go from here.

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