What is Monkeypox? - Epidemiologist Dr. Anne Rimoin Explains

Putting aside all the joking contained in the 5 August 2022 video, the facts given by the guest Epidemiologist Dr. Anne Rimoin are straight forward and clear. Despite the name, monkeypox comes from rodents. This has been scientifically verified. 

https://youtu.be/1fvS-FSFGvE

Cowpox served as a natural vaccine until the modern smallpox vaccine emerged in the 20th century. The smallpox vaccine is still being produced to guard against bioterrorism, biological warfare and monkeypox.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced eradication of smallpox in the 1970s, the administration of the smallpox vaccine for all newborns was suspended across the globe. 

This seems to have opened the door to an increase in cowpox and monkeypox cases around the globe. In a strange twist, science indicates the immune system of people vaccinated against smallpox produced antibodies not just against the smallpox virus but those same antibodies should also protect the individuals against the monkeypox virus.

Dr. Anne Rimoin has spent her entire career working with these zoonotic pox viruses, primarily in Africa where they occur. As a zoonotic pox virus infection, Monkeypox can occur in both humans and some other animals. Two recognized distinct types are described as the Congo Basin clade and the milder West African clade.