From early May 2022 to June 13, 2022 (the date of this podcast recording), over 1,300 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported across 31 countries that normally don’t see any cases of monkeypox. Occasionally, outbreaks have occurred outside Africa. But, in most instances, these cases were associated with international travel or contact with individuals or animals from endemic regions. Currently, the CDC and World Health Organization are tracking multiple reported cases and monitoring several person in counties without endemic monkeypox and with no known travel links to an endemic area. In today’s podcast, we welcome back Dr. Rachael Lee, Associate Professor in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases and UAB Health Epidemiologist to talk to us about monkeypox – what it is and if we should be worried?

Thank you to our co-sponsor for this podcast, the Alabama Public Health Training Network at the Alabama Department of Public Health a community-based training partner of the Region IV Public Health Training Center.

ADPH Resources - https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/monkeypox/resources.html

CDC 2022 Monkeypox and Orthopoxvirus Outbreak Global Map - https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html

CDC 2022 U.S. Monkeypox Cases - https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html

CDC - Information for Healthcare Providers - https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/index.html

World Health Organization - https://www.who.int/health-topics/monkeypox