AdvertisementOpinionOPINION: Media coverage of monkeypox paints it as an African virus. That makes me madJune 02, 2022Ifeanyi NsoforfacebookEmailMonkeypox was spread by prairie dogs in the U.S. in 2003. Above: The prairie dog Chuckles was a pet belonging to Tammy and Steve Kautzer and their 3-year-old daughter, of Dorchester, Wisconsin. They caught monkeypox from another pet prairie dog that since died. (Getty Images)