Abstract: Monkeypox， a zoonotic disease caused by monkeypox virus， can be transmitted among humans. The etiology and the clinical symptoms of monkeypox are analogous to smallpox. Before 2022， monkeypox was mainly reported in central and west Africa as an endemic. Since May 2022， the outbreak of monkeypox has been reported in many non-endemic countries and regions. Now， the number of new cases of monkeypox is increasing rapidly. The pattern of monkeypox transmission is significantly different from that in previous outbreaks， and many studies have proposed the possible influence of genetic evolution on the virulence and host range of monkeypox virus in the incident. Given its similarity to smallpox， the outbreaks of monkeypox have attracted wide international attention. In order to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of specific measures of prevention and control， we reviewed the characteristics of etiology and epidemiology of monkeypox， and made primary analysis of the global epidemic of monkeypox.