By Amira Van Leeuwen 

HAYS COUNTY — Monkeypox is believed to have been around for centuries but was first noticed in 1958 in rodents in Africa. The disease belongs to a family of viruses called poxviridae, and within the poxviridae family are different viruses. One of the viruses within the poxviridae family is called orthopox, which is where Monkeypox sits. 

According to an Aug. 12 press release, the Hays County Local Health Department (HCLHD) identified two confirmed cases of Monkeypox. ...