Massachusetts Confirms First Monkeypox Case in U.S. This Year

0

Massachusetts health officials confirmed on Wednesday the first case of monkeypox in the United States so far this year.

Monkeypox causes similar symptoms to smallpox, including fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, chills, and skin lesions.

At least seven cases of the virus have been reported this month in the United Kingdom, health authorities there said.

The individual who contracted monkeypox in Massachusetts had recently traveled to Canada and officials said they are conducting contact tracing.

No monkeypox cases have previously been identified in the United States in 2022. Texas and Maryland each reported a case in 2021 in people with recent travel to Nigeria.

monkeypox-skin-lesions
Monkeypox in Africa

Since early May 2022, the United Kingdom has identified 9 cases of monkeypox; the first case had recently traveled to Nigeria. None of the other cases have reported recent travel.

https://www.mass.gov/news/massachusetts-public-health-officials-confirm-case-of-monkeypox