A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Massachusetts, following reports of nine cases in the U.K. since early May. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) released a statement on the case, claiming it’s the first case in the U.S. this year. The affected individual had recently traveled to Canada, and MDPH and the CDC are identifying those who may have been in contact with the person while he was infectious, the statement said.
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, according to the CDC. Experts don’t know exactly where monkeypox virus comes from, but African rodents and monkeys “may harbor the virus and infect people,” per the CDC. Humans can get the virus after coming into contact with another human or an animal contaminated with it. The virus can enter the body via broken skin (such as a cut), mucous membranes (the eyes, nose, or mouth), or the respiratory tract. Human-to-human transmission is thought to happen mainly through “large respiratory droplets,” the CDC says. Those can be stopped by surgical masks, Patricia Bartley, MD, an infectious disease physician at Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF.
One characterizing symptom of monkeypox is a rash that usually starts on the face, Dr. Bartley says. It progresses into scabs, which fall off and may leave pitting scars. Other symptoms include headache, fever, chills, muscle aches, swollen glands (such as lymphatic nodes), exhaustion, sore throat, and cough, Dr. Bartley adds. Illness from monkeypox can last up to four weeks, and the incubation period—the time between infection and the first symptoms—is one to two weeks. In other words, it may take 14 days for infected individuals to start experiencing symptoms.
Though the symptoms may look dramatic, the fatality rate for monkeypox is thought to be around 3 to 6%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus can present itself similarly to smallpox, and antiviral treatments and vaccines against smallpox have been used to treat and prevent monkeypox in some parts of the world, per the WHO, which adds that monkeypox causes less severe illness than smallpox.
To handle this current case, contact tracing is the most appropriate approach, the statement read, “given the nature and transmission of the virus.” Talk of contact tracing and transmission may sound reminiscent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, though the MDPH statement stressed that the public shouldn’t be worried right now: “The case poses no risk to the public, and the individual is hospitalized and in good condition.” In addition to the U.K., there have recently been cases in Spain and Portugal, Dr. Bartley says. “We have recently seen an increase in limited locations and populations, but the risk to the community remains low.”
The new case doesn’t mark the first time monkeypox has occurred in the U.S. In 2003, there were 47 “confirmed and probable cases” across 6 states. Those affected by the outbreak became ill after contact with pet prairie dogs that had recently been housed near small mammals from Ghana, the CDC says. This outbreak was the first time human monkeypox was reported outside Africa, per the CDC. There have been subsequent travel-associated cases in the U.S. Last year in July, a case was recorded in Texas, and a second case was identified in Maryland in November. In both cases, the affected individual had recently traveled to Nigeria.
There is no treatment or vaccine currently available for monkeypox specifically, Dr. Bartley says, though as we mentioned, the course of treatment can be similar to how smallpox is addressed in some countries. She adds that a vaccine is being evaluated but isn’t currently available for clinical use in the U.S.
If you suspect you’ve been in contact with an individual who has the virus and you start experiencing symptoms, you should contact your doctor remotely to make an appointment to come in, Dr. Bartley says. It’s important to let them know about your potential exposure via phone or email so they can take the necessary precautions to keep themselves and other patients safe when you arrive. In spite of the cases in Europe and the new case in Massachusetts, experts aren’t recommending any safety precautions right now. “There is no reason to panic,” Dr. Bartley says.