On Sunday, President Biden stated that he is concerned that if the current confirmed U.S. cases would spread, the results would be consequential.

The  Monkeypox virus, which is similar to smallpox, has recently spread throughout European Countries, as well as Canada, Australia, and now here in the United States. Currently the United States has confirmed cases in  Massachusetts and in New York City.

The World Health Organization on Friday said it was stepping up efforts to understand and combat it. A vaccine developed against smallpox has been approved for monkeypox, and several antivirals also appear to be effective. But according to the CDC, there is no proven, safe treatment for monkeypox virus infection.

Biden’s health official Ashish Jha said Sunday he expects that monkeypox will not have widespread impact in the United States. He also stated that this virus is not new and that “we understand it more than Covid.” He also stated “we have treatments against it. And it is spread very differently than SARS-CoV-2. It is not as contagious as Covid. So, I am confident we’re going to be able to keep our arms around it.” Currently, the confirmed cases have not led to any fatalities.

The Massachusetts case involved a person who had recently visited Canada. The World Health Organization said it is tracking 92 confirmed cases and 28 possible cases in 12 countries. “The situation is evolving and WHO expects there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries,” the WHO said in a statement on its website. “Immediate actions focus on informing those who may be most at risk for monkeypox infection with accurate information, in order to stop further spread.”

What is “Monkeypox”?

Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses that includes variola virus, which causes smallpox; vaccinia virus, used in the smallpox vaccine; and cowpox virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was discovered in a colony of monkeys in 1958 and its first human case was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but has been reported in humans in other countries. The symptoms of monkeypox in humans can be similar to the symptoms of smallpox, but the main difference is that monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell, the CDC says. The incubation period, or time from infection to showing symptoms, for monkeypox is usually seven to 14 days. It starts with fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion and usually within one to three days, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.