LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Health officials in Boston confirmed a case of monkeypox in a man who recently traveled to Canada — the first report of a U.S. case this year.
Monkeypox is a disease that is usually not seen outside of Africa. It belongs to a family of viruses that includes smallpox. Most people recover from monkeypox within weeks, but the World Health Organization said that the disease is fatal for up to one in 10 people.
“The case poses no risk to the public, and the individual is hospitalized and in good condition,” according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
The Nevada Hospital Association said in its weekly report that it is watching as cases of the infection are being reported in the United Kingdom. “We assess that there is no concern for Nevada that this time,” according to the NHA.
Earlier this week, Britain’s Health Security Agency reported four cases of monkeypox they said had been spread among gay and bisexual men in London. The agency said the risk to the general population “remains low.”
A report today from The Associated Press indicates five cases have been confirmed in Portugal.
All the Portuguese cases involve men, most of them young, authorities said. They have skin lesions and were reported to be in stable condition. Authorities did not say if the men had a history of travel to Africa or any links with recent cases in Britain or elsewhere.
Health authorities in Spain’s central Madrid region said late on Wednesday that they were assessing 23 possible cases of monkeypox.
It can take up to 21 days for symptoms to develop after infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Two cases of monkeypox were reported in the U.S. in 2021.