30 Years After the End of Smallpox, Monkeypox Cases Are on the Rise

The ancient scourge smallpox was relegated to biowaste bin of history more than 30 years ago, the result of the world's first and only successful disease eradication programs. Since then, however, cases of monkeypox—a serious, although less severe smallpoxlike illness—have substantially increased, according to a study published August 30 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors stress that better surveillance and a thorough assessment of the public health threat posed by this once-rare viral infection are needed.
This article is related to biology because it has to do with a virus that is most commonly seen in rodents and squirrels but is on the rise in human beings in certain parts of the world.
This article is important because it is informing readers about another form of air-borne disease. Letting people know about this potential epidemic can save lives because people will make sure to be more cautious about germs and sanitation.