A US resident affected by the monkeypox virus was discovered in a hospital in Dallas, Texas on July 16, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The US resident had recently traveled from Nigeria to the United States, the CDC stated while adding that it was working with airline, state and local health authorities to contact passengers and others who may have come into contact with the patient.
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However, there is no cause for alarm or threat to the general public, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
The patient was infected with the strain most commonly found in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria, the CDC noted while stating that monkeypox epidemics have also been reported – besides Nigeria — in countries in Central and West Africa since 1970, with a significant outbreak among people in the United States in 2003.
Six cases of monkey pox had been reported earlier in travelers returning from Nigeria to the UK, Israel and Singapore, according to the CDC.
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Monkeypox – the same virus family as smallpox — is a rare but potentially serious viral disease with flu-like symptoms and swelling of lymph nodes, gradually progressing to a generalized rash on the chest. face and body.
Though it is caused through respiratory droplets, the risk of spreading is low due to masks being worn during COVID-19 , CDC said. (AW)
