Texas county reports first case of monkeypox

NEW DELHI: The Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) on Friday confirmed a case of monkeypox in a Texas resident. This is reportedly the first case of the rare disease in the United States since the 2003 outbreak, which affected 47 people.
The patient is currently being isolated at a hospital in Dallas, and is in stable condition.
"We have been working closely with the CDC and DSHS and have conducted interviews with the patient and close contacts that were exposed," DCHHS director Philip Huang said in a statement. “We have determined that there is very little risk to the general public."
The Texas resident arrived at Love Field airport from Nigeria on July 9. The CDC is working with airline, state and local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have come in contact with the patient.
"This case is not a reason for alarm and we do not expect any threat to the general public," Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. The DCHHS further added that those who do not have symptoms are not capable of spreading the virus to others.
The CDC defines monkeypox as a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus. The first human case of the virus was registered in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo during a period of intensified effort to eliminate smallpox.
According to the CDC, the infection begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. Within one to three days -- or sometimes longer -- after the appearance of fever, those infected develop a rash which often begins on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body.
Human-to-human transmission of the virus is thought to occur primarily through large respiratory droplets. The CDC further explains that there is "no proven, safe treatment for monkeypox virus infection". The smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) can be used to control the outbreak, it adds.