A man flew to the US with monkeypox: he could infect dozens of people

A US resident who spent some time in Nigeria before leaving home became the first reported case of monkeypox in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Writes about it WSBTV.

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The CDC reports that the traveler left Lagos on July 8 and arrived in Atlanta, Georgia in the early hours of July 9. After stopping at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, he continued on to Dallas, Texas on July 9. The man is currently in a Dallas hospital.

CDC is working with airlines, state and local health officials to contact passengers and others who may have come into contact with the patient during the trip.

The mask policy put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic likely limited other travelers' exposure to this respiratory virus, researchers say.

The CDC says at least six other cases of monkeypox have been reported in tourists returning from Nigeria. These cases were in the United Kingdom, Israel and Singapore. They believe that the US case is not related to either of them.

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In the UK, the disease has spread to several people who came into contact with the infected tourist.

According to the CDC, monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with a flu-like illness and swollen lymph nodes. It causes a widespread rash on the face and body. The illness usually lasts 2-4 weeks.

CDC experts say the infection is similar to smallpox, but clears up more easily. Lab tests have shown that the strain that the US traveler is infected with is most common in West Africa, specifically Nigeria, they said. This strain is fatal in about 1 in 100 people, but the risk of death is increased for people with weakened immune systems.

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Infectious disease experts believe the virus is transmitted from African rodents and small mammals, which transmit it to other forest animals, in particular monkeys. They say people can become infected if they are bitten or scratched by an infected animal, or if they come into contact with contaminated animal products.

The virus spreads between people through respiratory droplets and through contact with bodily fluids, open infected sores, or objects contaminated by any of these routes. The CDC stressed that the primary route of transmission from humans is through large respiratory droplets.

The CDC says the outbreak in the United States dates back to 2003 after the virus spread from imported African rodents to pet dogs.

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