But more than 140 cases reported in 15 countries by NICD
These include the US, UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain
The rare viral disease occurs mostly in central and west Africa
However, the 15 countries mentioned here are not endemic for the virus
The outbreak was first reported in the UK on 4 May 2022 in a traveller who returned from Nigeria
Monkeypox was first identified in laboratory monkeys in a Danish lab in 1958
The viral disease spreads from person to person via close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials
Like the coronavirus, it is a zoonotic virus (transmitted to humans from animals)
The common symptoms are headache, fever, painful and swollen lymph nodes, rash, myalgia (muscle and body aches), and lesions on the genitalia or peri-genital areas
The disease is generally self-limiting, which resolves within 14 to 21 days
But infection can be severe in children, pregnant women, or people who are immunocompromised
The WHO said that vaccination for monkeypox, where available, is being deployed to manage close contacts, such as healthcare workers
Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor for the UK, told CNN that "no direct vaccine for monkeypox, we are using a form of smallpox vaccine who are contacts of cases"