Even if you’d never heard of monkeypox until last month — which is likely — you’ve probably got some questions about it now that cases are making headlines. After two years of COVID-19, we’re all both weary and wary of infectious diseases, so a new outbreak is going to get our attention.

A few things about monkeypox might make these outbreaks seem alarming: It’s infectious. It’s related to smallpox. It’s a zoonotic disease, meaning it jumped to humans from an animal host. It causes pustules. And it’s now popping up in countries where it’s very rarely seen.

Today in The Conversation Canada, Sameer Elsayed of Western University answers some of the most common monkeypox questions, including what it is, how it’s spread, what the symptoms are, its pandemic potential and whether smallpox vaccine offers protection against it. And a fun fact: Monkeys aren’t the usual animal reservoir of monkeypox!

Also today:

All the best,

Patricia Nicholson

Health + Medicine Editor

Magnified and colourized monkeypox virus particles. Since early May, over 550 confirmed cases of human infection with monkeypox virus have been reported in 30 countries. (NIAID)

Monkeypox FAQ: How is it transmitted? Where did it come from? What are the symptoms? Does smallpox vaccine prevent it?

Sameer Elsayed, Western University

Recent outbreaks have drawn attention to monkeypox. Get answers to common questions about this relative of the smallpox virus, including transmission, symptoms and effectiveness of smallpox vaccine.

Troops of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade head to shore in Bernières-sur-Mer, Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. Gilbert Alexander Milne, Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada, PA-122765

D-Day: The politics involved in how war should be memorialized and remembered

Geoffrey Bird, Royal Roads University

Remembrance for post-veteran generations involves learning about history, trying to comprehend the what, how and why and its relevance today.

Global Justice campaigners in London stand by fake coffins to highlight global COVID-19 deaths. If pharma companies waived intellectual property rights, it would be easier for low- and middle-income countries to access COVID-19 vaccines. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

We still need a vaccine patent waiver, but not the one on offer at the World Trade Organization meeting

Ronald Labonte, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

Waiving patent rights on COVID-19 vaccines and drugs is still crucial to ensure access globally, but the waiver on the table at the June World Trade Organization meeting doesn’t do the job.

Pluto was recategorized from a planet to a dwarf planet in 2006. (Shutterstock)

Curious Kids: Why does it matter if Pluto is a planet or a dwarf planet?

Samantha Lawler, University of Regina

A curious kid asks: Why does it matter if Pluto is a planet or a dwarf planet?

Even with optimal treatment, asthma and COPD patients encounter unpredictable flareups of their conditions, which can become life-threatening and need immediate medical attention. (Shutterstock)

Listening to asthma and COPD: An AI-powered wearable could monitor respiratory health

Nicole Y.K. Li-Jessen, McGill University; Andreas M. Kist, Friedrich–Alexander University Erlangen–Nürnberg (FAU)

Researchers are developing an AI-powered device to detect asthma and COPD symptoms in real-time for faster treatment. The ‘patch’ listens to airway sounds, but filters out speech to protect privacy.

A team of caring adults, including certified teachers and coaches, support The Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education (YAAACE) community initiatives in Toronto’s Jane-Finch neighbourhood. (Ardavan Eizadirad)

Ontario can close students’ access and opportunity gaps with community-led projects

Ardavan Eizadirad, Wilfrid Laurier University

Revamping standardized testing needs to be accompanied with tangible actions to mitigate students’ opportunity gaps at the community level, particularly for racialized students.

Presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, centre and his running mate Francia Marquez, at his right, stand before supporters with Marquez’s wife and daughter on election night in Bogota, Colombia. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

The left could be poised to take power in Colombia for the first time

Juan Manuel Morales, Université de Montréal

The strong showing of left-wing presidential candidate Gustavo Petro in the Colombian elections suggests the country’s left-right divide is moving from armed confrontation to democratic disagreement.

La Conversation Canada

Le premier ministre du Québec, François Legault, répond aux questions des journalistes après le vote du projet de loi 96, le 24 mai 2022, à l'Assemblée législative à Québec. Il est accompagné de Simon Jolin-Barrette, ministre responsable de la langue française. La Presse Canadienne/Jacques Boissinot

La loi 96 ne changera rien à la dynamique linguistique au Québec

Calvin Veltman, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)

Plusieurs études sont fondées sur une interprétation inadéquate des données du recensement canadien. Il y a surestimation des langues allophones et par le fait même, sous-estimation des francophones.

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