2 chapters across the catalog
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch explains that monkeypox is a zoonotic infection that typically lives in rodents in West and Central Africa. He compares the virus to smallpox, noting that monkeypox lesions are usually all the same age and develop simultaneously. The discussion highlights the "neglected" nature of the disease prior to the current global outbreak and the uncertainty regarding its primary modes of transmission.
Dr. Ken Alibek, a former Soviet bioweapons official, claimed that Russia investigated using monkeypox as a biological weapon in the early 1990s. The plan allegedly involved using monkeypox as a model to develop genetically altered smallpox that could be quickly stockpiled. Alibek’s history of testifying before Congress about weapons of mass destruction is noted, adding a layer of geopolitical suspicion to the current outbreak.
