Rare human monkeypox case detected in US

Reuters

Dallas - It is the first case of the virus observed in the state.

By Reuters

Published: Sat 17 Jul 2021, 6:53 AM

Last updated: Sat 17 Jul 2021, 6:54 AM

A rare case of human monkeypox has been detected in Texas, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday, making it the first case of the virus observed in the state.

The viral illness was discovered in a US resident, who recently travelled from Nigeria to the United States and is currently hospitalized in Dallas.

“Although rare, this case is not a cause for alarm and we do not expect any threat to the general public,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

Besides Nigeria, epidemics have also been reported in countries in Central and West Africa since 1970, with a significant outbreak among people in the United States in 2003, according to the CDC.

The CDC said it was working with the airline, state and local health authorities to contact passengers and others who may have come into contact with the patient.

Monkeypox, which belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, is a rare but potentially serious viral disease that usually begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes, gradually progressing to a generalized rash on the chest. face and body.

It can be spread from person to person by respiratory droplets. The CDC said that since travellers wore masks due to Covid-19, the risk of spreading monkey pox via respiratory droplets to other people on planes and at airports was low.

The patient was infected with the strain most commonly found in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria, the CDC added.

There have been at least six cases of monkey pox reported in travellers returning from Nigeria, before the current case, including in the UK, Israel and Singapore, according to the CDC. The last case was unrelated to the previous cases.