Monkeypox Virus Reported in America for the Second Time!

By Prattiba JaiSri On Nov 23, 2021

A second case of Monkeypox is reported in Maryland this week, the CDC says.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory scientists confirmed that a patient who travelled to the United States from Nigeria had monkeypox and that the infection matches the strain that has been re-emerging in Nigeria since 2017.

The person is currently in isolation in Maryland.

The first virus case was reported in July in a Texas resident who had returned from Nigeria.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a widespread rash on the face and body.

Monkeypox re-emerged in Nigeria in 2017 after more than 40 years with no reported cases. Since 2017, 218 cases have been confirmed in Nigeria and eight cases have been reported in international travelers from Nigeria, including a case in Texas in July 2021 and the current case.

According to the CDC, symptoms of monkeypox are:

Exhaustion
Fever
Chill
Muscles ache
Swollen lymph nodes
Headache
Backache

Travelers on the flight to the United States were required to wear masks on the plane as well as in the U.S. airports due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, it’s believed the risk of spread of Monkeypox virus via respiratory droplets to others on the planes is low.

The CDC is currently assessing potential risks to those who may have had close contact with the traveler on the plane and after their arrival in the United States.

“Because of the health risks associated with a single case of monkeypox, clinicians should report suspected cases immediately to state or local public health authorities regardless of whether they are also exploring other potential diagnoses,” the CDC says in a statement.

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