The return of monkeypox in Europe

Since the beginning of May, monkeypox has returned to Europe, and health authorities are concerned about the rather atypical nature of the transmission chain.

Monkeypox is a zoonosis - a disease transmitted to humans by animals - caused by the monkeypox virus, which is of the same kind as human smallpox. Endemic to Africa, it is present in two forms, the less dangerous strain being the one currently found in Europe, but also in Australia, Canada and the United States.
The main symptoms of the virus include fever, headache and rash, which usually disappear spontaneously within a few weeks. How it spreads, however, is a challenge for experts. It seems that human-to-human transmission through direct contact with the skin lesions or mucous membranes of an infected person is very likely.
However, the World Health Organization says that monkeypox, which is far less dangerous than the smallpox that was eradicated about 40 years ago, can be stopped in non-endemic countries.