The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that a rare case of human monkeypox was detected in Texas.
CDC made the announcement on Friday and said the illness was found in a U.S resident who recently travelled from Nigeria. The patient is currently hospitalized in Dallas, Texas.
The agency also stated that it was the first case of the virus seen in the U.S.
“While rare, 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 agency said further that the risk of spread of monkeypox via respiratory droplets to others on air planes and at the airports was low, since travellers were wearing masks due to COVID-19.
“The patient was infected with the strain most commonly found in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria,” CDC added.
