First US monkeypox case reported this year, health officials say. What to know
Health officials have confirmed a case of monkeypox in the United States stemming from a Massachusetts resident that recently traveled abroad.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Health, an adult man that recently returned to the U.S. from Canada has been infected with the virus.
“The case poses no risk to the public, and the individual is hospitalized and in good condition,” officials said in a news release.
The United States previously saw two cases of the “rare but potentially serious virus” in 2021, in Texas and Maryland. Both cases were from residents who had recently traveled to Nigeria.
Monkeypox initially begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes, and then progresses to rashes on the face. Infections typically last two to four weeks, the federal health officials said in the release.
There is no “proven, safe treatment” for the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Humans can become infected with monkeypox through contact with animals that have been infected, health officials said. The virus most often spreads from parts of central and west Africa.
The virus does not spread easily through people, but health officials are using contact tracing to track down people the individual may have come in contact with.
As of May 2022, the United Kingdom has confirmed nine cases of the virus.
What is monkeypox? Case confirmed in person returning to US from abroad
