Infection confers long-term immunity 13. Effective vaccine available Other Poxviruses 1. Monkeypox Monkeypox was first isolated from monkeys in 1958, but it was not until 1970 that it was associated with human disease. To date, over 400 cases have been investigated, mainly from Zaire. The pathogenesis and clinical features for monkeypox is the same as for smallpox.
Most cases occur in unvaccinated children.
The management of human monkeypox is the same as for smallpox. Human monkeypox has not been detected outside West Africa. Although monkeypox was first isolated from monkeys, there is no evidence that African monkeys act as the reservoir. The most likely candidate for reservoir is the African squirrel. One important difference between human monkeypox and smallpox is the lower capacity for human spread.