Just as our country is dealing with multiplying Covid cases, there has been an increase in the number of cases of Monkeypox, a disease that has taken over parts of the world. While there are over 18,000 cases reported around the world, India currently has four known cases. The first case was reported in the country on July 14 in Kerala. The patient, a Kollam native, has now recovered from the disease, according to state Health Minister Veena George. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the viral disease a global emergency. The United Nations health agency says Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals). It has symptoms similar to those seen in past smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health. Last week, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus advised men, who are considered more at risk of getting monkeypox, to consider reducing the number of sexual partners for the moment.