The World Health Organization (WHO) has decided not to declare monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern. This may change in the future.

However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned” about the evolving threat of
The WHO also acknowledged there were many unknowns about the outbreak.

Here are three things we know about monkeypox and three things we want to find out.

3 things we know
1. Monkeypox is caused by a virus
Monkeypox is a large DNA virus belonging to the orthopoxvirus family. Unlike the related smallpox virus, variola, which only affected humans, monkeypox virus is found in rodents and other animals in parts of Africa.
We know of two clades (virus groupings), and it is the less severe of the two currently circulating outside Africa.

Orthopoxviruses are stable viruses that do not mutate much. Multiple mutations, however, have been described in the virus causing the current outbreak.

In the United States, at least two separate strains have been circulating, suggesting multiple introductions into the country

2. You can be infected for more than a week and not know

It takes an average 8.5 days from infection to showing symptoms, such as enlarged lymph nodes, fever and a rash, which usually looks like fluid-filled blisters that erupt. People are infectious while they have the rash, and are usually infectious for about two weeks.

Children are most severely affected and have a higher risk of dying from the disease. Historically, in the endemic countries of Africa, almost all deaths have been in children.
Child with monkeypox lesions on limbs
Children with monkeypox, such as this four-year-old girl, are at increased risk of severe disease. CDC
The European epidemic is mostly in adult males, so this, together with better access to care, may explain the low rate of deaths in these countries.

3. We have vaccines and treatments
Vaccines work. Past vaccination against smallpox provides 85% protection against monkeypox.

Read more: https://theconversation.com/monkeypox-is-not-a-global-emergency-for-now-says-who-3-things-we-need-to-know-next-about-how-its-mutating-and-spreading-185297