Monkeypox Case Confirmed In Massachusetts; First U.S. Case Of 2022

BOSTON, MA — A single case of monkeypox has been discovered in Massachusetts, state health officials announced Wednesday. The virus was detected in an adult man who recently traveled to Canada, officials said in a news release.

Monkeypox is a rare, viral illness that usually begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes, and progresses to a rash on the face and body. Most infections last about two to four weeks, according to state health officials.

The disease is typically limited to central and west Africa, where people are exposed through bites or scratches from rodents and small mammals, preparing wild game or coming into contact with an infected animal. Individuals can also be infected through contact with infected people, their clothing or bedsheets.

Since the virus does not spread easily between people, officials said the virus poses no risk to the general public.

The case in Massachusetts was confirmed Wednesday following testing at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials said they are working with the patient's health care providers to identify anyone he may have come in contact with while infectious.

The person who tested positive for monkeypox currently is hospitalized and in good condition, officials said.

This is the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States in 2022, according to Massachusetts Public Health. Texas and Maryland each reported a case in 2021. Both patients contracted the illness during a trip to Nigeria.

Also on Wednesday, Portuguese health authorities confirmed five cases of monkeypox in young men while the United Kingdom officials announced two. British health authorities said neither person had previously traveled to Africa and that it was possible they were infected in the U.K. The cases had no known links to other previously confirmed patients.

Earlier this week, United Kingdom public health officials reported four cases of monkeypox, adding the virus was spread among gay and bisexual men in London. The agency said the risk to the general population "remains low."

Health authorities in Spain’s central Madrid region are currently assessing 23 possible cases of monkeypox. They noted that all of the suspected cases are young men and that the majority of them had sex with other men.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.