US: A Case Of Monkeypox Confirms!

The US Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed a single case of monkeypox virus infection in an adult male, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts said in a press release. The adult has recent history of travel to Canada.

The initial testing was completed at the State Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain. Though the confirmatory testing was completed at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Currently, the Department of Public Health is closely working with the CDC, relevant local boards of health, and the patient's health care providers in order to identify the individuals who may have contacted the patient while he was infectious. According to the release, the case poses no risk to the public, and the individual is hospitalized and in good condition.

"Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a rash on the face and body. Most infections last 2-to-4 weeks. In parts of central and west Africa where monkeypox occurs, people can be exposed through bites or scratches from rodents and small mammals, preparing wild game, or having contact with an infected animal or possibly animal products," the statement reads.