Monkeypox confirmed in Massachusetts; first US case identified in 2022

Massachusetts health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention verified the country's first case of the year on Wednesday.  

Health officials in Canada's Quebec province are examining more than a dozen suspected cases of monkeypox, a rare but potentially deadly virus, as the public broadcaster, CBC, reported on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the United States confirmed a case of monkeypox in a man who recently travelled to Canada. Post-European health officials confirmed dozens of cases earlier this week. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the sickness commonly begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscular aches, and enlarged lymph nodes before advancing to a rash on the face and body that looks like chickenpox.

According to the public broadcaster, at least 13 cases are being examined by public health authorities in Montreal after diagnoses were made in several clinics specialising in sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. The confirmation is anticipated in the coming days. 

On Wednesday, Massachusetts health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention verified the country's first case of the year.

The Massachusetts Department of Health, in its statement, stated that the case poses no risk to the public and the patient is in the hospital and a good condition. 

According to the CDC, the disease can spread through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids or sores, and contaminated shared items such as clothing, bedding, and home disinfectants can kill the virus.

Many of the reported cases, including clusters discovered in the previous two weeks in Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom, where monkeypox is unusual, are occurring inside sexual networks, as per Inger Damon, a CDC poxvirus expert.

Several European cases have been found in men who have sex with men; however, the CDC stressed that "monkeypox can be transferred by anybody, regardless of sexual orientation."

The UK Health Security Agency stated that since May 6, nearly nine cases of monkeypox have been witnessed in the United Kingdom.

Also, Spain and Portugal started earlier on Wednesday that they had detected over 40 suspected or confirmed monkeypox cases.

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