First Case of Monkeypox Virus Detected in United States This Year

Monkeypox is surging around the globe and now the rare virus has found its way inside our borders.

The first case of monkeypox in the United States this year was detected Tuesday when a Massachusetts man tested positive for the virus … according to health officials.

The man recently traveled to Canada, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the CDC confirmed his positive test result.

The MDPH says the man is hospitalized in good condition and poses no risk to the public, though they say they are working with the CDC on contact tracing.

Monkeypox is extremely rare in the United States, this is only the third confirmed case since 2003, but it is on the rise worldwide … with 9 recent cases identified in the United Kingdom since May, plus another 5 in Portugal.

The disease is caused by the monkeypox virus, and it’s part of the same family of viruses as chickenpox and smallpox. It’s very rare outside Africa, and the CDC says the virus does not occur naturally in the States.

Monkeypox transmits from animals to humans when an infected animal, usually a primate or rodent, bites or scratches a human … or from preparing wild game or hunting wild animals.

When a person becomes infected, the disease spreads in various ways, including bodily fluids and respiratory droplets in the air during prolonged face-to-face contact.

Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, chills, rash, muscle aches and lesions similar to those caused by smallpox. It can be fatal, especially with young children.