Monkeypox: US confirms first case from Massachusetts, man who travelled to Canada
The difference between monkeypox and chickenpox is that the former causes lymph nodes to swell whereas the latter doesn’t.
- May 19, 2022,
- Updated May 19, 2022 2:19 PM IST
The US health authorities confirmed the first case of Monkeypox this year—a man from Massachusetts who travelled to Canada recently. The Massachusetts Department of Health was quoted as saying by news agency AFP, the patient “poses no risk to the public, and the individual is hospitalised and in good condition.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing for the possibility of more cases of monkeypox, a virus that belongs to the orthopoxvirus family. Monkeypox has symptoms similar to smallpox but is comparatively less severe.
The US CDC explained in a statement, “Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with bodily fluids, monkeypox sores, or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox.”
It further mentioned that household disinfectants can kill the virus on surfaces. The US agency also explained the illness often starts with the flu-like symptoms (fever, muscle ache, swollen lymph nodes) before causing a chickenpox-like rash on the face and body.
The difference between monkeypox and chickenpox is that the former causes lymph nodes to swell whereas the latter doesn’t.
After this development, health authorities in Quebec province of Canada announced they were investigating around 13 suspected case of monkeypox. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) called on “public health authorities and laboratory partners across Canada to be alert for and investigate any potential cases.”
(With agency inputs)
Also read: What is the Monkeypox virus, detected in Europe? All you need to know
The US health authorities confirmed the first case of Monkeypox this year—a man from Massachusetts who travelled to Canada recently. The Massachusetts Department of Health was quoted as saying by news agency AFP, the patient “poses no risk to the public, and the individual is hospitalised and in good condition.”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing for the possibility of more cases of monkeypox, a virus that belongs to the orthopoxvirus family. Monkeypox has symptoms similar to smallpox but is comparatively less severe.
The US CDC explained in a statement, “Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with bodily fluids, monkeypox sores, or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox.”
It further mentioned that household disinfectants can kill the virus on surfaces. The US agency also explained the illness often starts with the flu-like symptoms (fever, muscle ache, swollen lymph nodes) before causing a chickenpox-like rash on the face and body.
The difference between monkeypox and chickenpox is that the former causes lymph nodes to swell whereas the latter doesn’t.
After this development, health authorities in Quebec province of Canada announced they were investigating around 13 suspected case of monkeypox. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) called on “public health authorities and laboratory partners across Canada to be alert for and investigate any potential cases.”
(With agency inputs)
Also read: What is the Monkeypox virus, detected in Europe? All you need to know