The first confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States this year recently travelled to Canada, health officials said Wednesday, as concern rises over the spread of the infectious virus in multiple countries.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said in a statement that an adult male tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, which was confirmed Wednesday by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Read more:
Monkeypox cases are now suspected in U.K., Spain, Portugal — here’s what you need to know
The department did not say where in Canada the man travelled to or when. The case does not pose any risk to the public, officials added, but contact tracing is ongoing.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said no cases of monkeypox have been reported to the agency as of Wednesday evening.
However, Dr. Don Vinh, a microbiologist at McGill University in Montreal, told Global News he was working to confirm a suspected case who is currently being treated for symptoms of monkeypox.
The reports come as cases are emerging in the U.K., Spain and Portugal, raising concerns about further transmission.
Trending Stories
Can Turkey stop Finland, Sweden from joining NATO? Why it’s seeking ‘bargains’
Monkeypox cases are now suspected in U.K., Spain, Portugal — here’s what you need to know
Health officials in Spain are investigating after eight men started showing symptoms of the viral infection. Those cases have yet to be officially confirmed, and a spokesperson for Madrid’s regional health department said that the National Microbiology Centre is working to determine a final diagnosis.
The U.K. announced on Monday that they have detected four more cases of monkeypox, bringing the country’s total up to seven cases. The first case in the U.K. was detected on May 4.
In Portugal, five cases of monkeypox have been found, with 15 more people being tested. National authorities said that everyone affected is in stable condition, and that all 20 cases were among men who live in Lisbon and the Tagus Valley.
Coronavirus outbreak: WHO says anniversary of smallpox eradication is a reminder of what’s possible when nations come together – May 8, 2020
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches, according to the CDC. The organization says that after one to three days of fever, sufferers of monkeypox can develop a facial rash that then spreads to other parts of the body as lesions, which later fall off.
The incubation period for monkeypox is usually seven to 14 days, but can range as wide as five to 21 days.
PHAC says the virus is typically transmitted from animals to humans, but human-to-human transmission can occur “through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on skin” or through mucous and respiratory droplets.
More to come…
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
