First Case Detected

The first case of monkeypox is now confirmed in the United States.

On Tuesday, May 17, 2022 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health say that a Massachusetts man who recently travelled to Canada has contracted the virus.

Although hospitalized, the man is in good condition.  Authorities say his case poses no risk to the general public.

The virus can be transmitted between species through the handling of bodily fluids,  Human-to-human transmission, according to the CDC, occurs primarily through contact with respiratory droplets.

The disease, considered to be "rare and unusual," was recently found in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Kent Hall, Chief Physician Executive with the Mohawk Valley Health System, says "It is not overly easy to transmit."  He says that he is not particularly worried at this time that monkeypox will become a significant disease in the United States.  "Monkey pox, unlike smallpox," Dr. Hall says, "is a relatively self-limited disease.” Although it can be fatal, he says, "In general, it is a pretty mild disease.”

According to information from The CDC, "Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name ‘monkeypox.’ The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox."

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, tiredness and general fatigue, and muscle aches.

What is monkeypox?

The last outbreak of monkeypox in the United States was in 2003.

Monkeypox is very similar to smallpox and chickenpox. Presentation of the disease usually begins with flu-like symptoms.  There could be swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash on the face and body.