The dangerous monkeypox infection has hit the US as the country reported this year's first case in Massachusetts on Wednesday. Health officials confirmed that the monkeypox infection was found in a man who just returned from Canada.
The man is said to be in good condition although he is hospitalized. Officials are involved in his contact tracing.
A day before the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) officials had stated that they are monitoring the six potential cases of monkeypox.
Cases of monkeypox, a rare viral infection, are on the surge across the world and health experts are fearing that the Massachusets case could be the tip of the iceberg.
UK, Spain, and Portugal have collectively reported 14 confirmed cases so far and they are still probing some other cases for the possible infection.
The virus is generally found in Africa prominently in the central and the West African region. The virus in these places is transmitted from direct contact with infected animals.
But the virus can easily transmit from sneezes or coughs with a monkeypox rash. The disease is fatal but the current strain spreading globally is milder and has a fatality rate of one in 100.
Monkeypox Could Be Transmitted Via Sex
Experts have also stated that it's the first time that the disease is spreading in the community in the UK and endorsed speculation that it appears to be transmitted via sex.
Currently, the UK has seven cases of Monkeypox but experts fear that the number is higher as the majority of the cases are not being detected.
In the UK, most of the infected people are gay or bisexual men. In Spain, at least 8 men are suspected of having the disease, while in Portugal five men have tested positive.
Health chiefs in the UK say the pattern of transmission is 'highly suggestive of spread in sexual networks', according to the Daily Mail.
Symptoms
People infected with the monkeypox develop symptoms similar to flu as fever, body aches, and chills but they also get also swollen lymph nodes and a distinctive rash on the face and other body parts.
The disease was first discovered in 1958 when the pox-like disease was found in monkeys. While in 1970, the first human case was found 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disease is prominently reported in the western and central African countries.
Cure For Monkeypox
Officials have suggested that jabs for smallpox can also protect people from getting monkeypox as diseases are closely related. In the US, Jynneos vaccine is licensed to be used against smallpox. Jynneos, also known as Imvamune or Imvanex, is proven 85% effective against the monkeypox.
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