A rare case of monkeypox has been recorded in the US, the first confirmed case of the year, in a Massachusetts man who just traveled to Canada. This is the first verified case of monkeypox in the United States. But the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is bracing for further cases.
Here are ten things you should know about monkeypox and the first incidence in the US in 2022
- The Massachusetts man went to Canada to see friends at the end of April and returned in early May. He traveled in a private vehicle.
- This is the first monkeypox case of the year. Texas and Maryland have reported cases of the disease in people who traveled to Nigeria last year.
- Monkeypox cases have been reported in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Spain recently. It’s still unclear whether the US case is linked to the European outbreak.
- The Massachusetts man’s contact information is being tracked, but the CDC has not divulged where he went in Canada.
- Monkeypox is thought to be lethal in one out of every ten cases. Severe sickness and mortality are more frequent in children.
- It is characterized by a flu-like illness and lymph node swelling, followed by a rash on the face and body.
- Monkeypox cases are common in Africa, where people are infected by rodents or small animal bites. The disease is not easily spread among people.
- Most of the cases have been reported in gay or bisexual men in Europe. Officials are looking into the likelihood that some illnesses were transferred through close sexual contact.
- Monkeypox also belongs to the same virus family as smallpox.
- Smallpox vaccination is likewise effective against monkeypox. Vaccination is also possible after exposure to the monkeypox virus, but it must be done within four days of exposure.