The Florida Department of Health in Broward County reported the first case of monkeypox virus on Sunday.
Broward County officials said Press release That the case originated from international travel, and the person who was infected is currently in isolation.
“DOH-Brovard is conducting epidemiological investigations to inform potential risks and offer potential post-exposure prophylaxis,” Broward officials said. “At this time, DOH-Brovard has not identified any additional cases.”
The Broward County case is the third confirmed monkeypox case in the US
The US on Wednesday documented its first confirmed monkeypox case, after a Massachusetts man contracted the virus while visiting Canada.
The second confirmed case was reported in New York City on Friday. The city’s health and mental hygiene department confirmed ABC News that a patient tested positive for orthopoxvirus – a virus linked to monkeypox.
Monkeypox is a viral disease that causes fever-like symptoms, including headache, fatigue, body aches, and a bumpy rash on a person’s skin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus, which belongs to the same viral family as smallpox, was first discovered in 1958 after an infectious outbreak occurred between two colonies of monkeys. (CDC),
Cases are rare outside Africa, but international travel has caused the virus to spread to several countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sweden and Canada. The virus can spread in many ways, including infected animals, person-to-person contact, blood and bodily fluids.
Most monkeypox infections come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to CDC,
Yale infectious disease specialist Dr. Richard Martinello, told HuffPost On Friday that more cases of monkeypox will be reported in America
“I anticipate that over the next few weeks, we will continue to identify more cases, but I don’t expect that we will see a rapidly increasing number of cases,” Martinello previously told HuffPost.
Martinello said he doesn’t believe monkeypox is “not contagious like anything like COVID or the flu.”
Smallpox Vaccine Could Protect People from Getting Monkeypox, According to CDC, The previously reported data from Africa shows that the vaccine is “at least 85% effective in preventing monkeypox.”
Speaking to a group of reporters in South Korea on Sunday, President Joe Biden said recent cases of monkeypox in the US and Europe are “to be concerned about”.
According to the Associated Press, Biden said, “It’s a concern that if it were to spread, it would be consequential.” “They haven’t told me the level of exposure yet, but it’s something everyone should be concerned about.”
