evidence: Monkeypox, a rare disease, is caused by the simian pox virus, which is structurally related to smallpox and causes a similar disease, but less severe. It is part of the group of orthopoxviruses_. [...] Monkeypox, a rare zoonosis that occurs sporadically in forested areas of Central and West Africa, is an orthopoxvirus that can cause fatal illness. [...] Monkeypox is a rare disease that occurs throughout remote parts of Central and West Africa, often near tropical rain forests. People at risk for monkeypox are those who get bitten by an infected animal or have contact with the animal's rash, blood, or body fluids. It can also be transmitted person to person through respiratory or direct contact and contact with contaminated bedding or clothing.