Monkeypox is rising worldwide, and the unique virus has now entered our country.
Earlier this week, a Massachusetts man tested positive for the virus, making it the first monkeypox case reported in the US this year.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the man recently flew to Canada, where the CDC confirmed his positive test result.
Though the CDC focuses on contact tracing, the MDPH says the individual is in good health and poses no public health concern.
Monkeypox is extremely rare in the United States; this is only the third confirmed case since 2003; however, it is on the rise globally.
Recently there have been nine cases identified in the United Kingdom since May, and another five in Portugal.
The monkeypox virus, which is related to chickenpox and smallpox, causes the disease.
Outside of Africa, it’s extremely rare, and the CDC claims the virus doesn’t exist naturally in the United States.
The virus is usually transmitted when an infected animal, usually a primate or rodent, bites or scratches a human.
When a person contracts the disease, it can be spread by bodily fluids and breathing droplets in the air during prolonged face-to-face contact.
Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, rash, muscle aches, and lesions comparable to smallpox. It is especially dangerous for young children.
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