Thanks. Note it's never been seen in the Western Hemisphere.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/925127/posts Mysterious illness caused by pet prairie dogs is possibly monkeypox
By The Associated Press
(6/07/03 - MADISON, WI) — A virus related to smallpox that has never been detected in the Western Hemisphere may be the cause of a mysterious disease spreading from pet prairie dogs to people across the upper Midwest, health officials said Saturday.
IIRC,I read an article quite a while back that said Iraq had been experimenting with both monkeypox and camelpox,FWIW.
The illegal bushmeat trade from Africa could spread all kinds of diseases,just as both the legal and illegal trade in wildgame food and pets from all over the world can.
Most people don't realize how much trade in wild food and pets,legal or illegal,there is worldwide.