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A case of monkeypox, a rare but potentially serious viral disease, has been identified in a Maryland resident who has recently returned from Nigeria, health officials said, making it the second case in the United States this year. They said the risk of the virus spreading is low.
The Maryland Department of Health said the person was in isolation with mild symptoms but was not hospitalized. Declaration Tuesday. The agency did not reveal the identity of the passenger.
This is the second confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States in the past few months. initial infection Discovered in July In a Texas resident returning from Nigeria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said In that case.
Inside Declaration On Wednesday, the CDC said it was working with an unidentified airline and health officials to reach out to anyone who may have been in contact with the Maryland traveler. However, the agency said the chances of contracting the virus through respiratory droplets are low as other passengers must wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“No special precautions are recommended for the general public at this time,” Maryland health officials said in a statement, adding that they are identifying and following people who may be in contact with the traveler.
Monkeypox – so named because it was first described in laboratory monkeys – occurs mostly in Central and West Africa, although it caused an outbreak in the United States in 2003 after spreading from imported African rodents to domestic prairie dogs. said the CDC.
At that time epidemicThe CDC said it has identified 47 confirmed and probable cases of monkeypox in six states. Those who were infected reported symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and rash. No deaths were reported.
Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses as smallpox, but causes milder symptoms, according to the CDC. Most infections last two to four weeks.
In this case, laboratory tests at the CDC showed the patient was infected with a type of monkeypox most common in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria. Infections with this strain are fatal in about 1 in 100 people, but rates may be higher in people with compromised immune systems, the CDC said.
The CDC said it has supported Nigeria’s response to monkeypox since 2017, when the disease re-emerged in that country more than 40 years later with no reported cases. Since then, 218 cases have been identified in Nigeria, and eight cases have been reported in international travelers arriving from the country, including those in Texas and Maryland.
There is no specific treatment for monkeypox infections. according to this Although a vaccine has been licensed in the US to prevent monkeypox and smallpox, the CDC.
Monkeypox is commonly found in animals such as rats, mice, and rabbits, but can be transmitted to humans who are bitten or scratched by an animal; wild game maker; The CDC said there are those who have come into contact with or with an infected animal or possibly animal products.
The virus can spread between people through bodily fluids, wounds, or items contaminated with bodily fluids, but it is transmitted through large respiratory droplets that usually do not move more than a few meters. Therefore, prolonged face-to-face contact is often necessary for the virus to spread, the CDC said.
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