CDC monitors more than 200 people for potential exposure to monkeypox
DALLAS, Texas (Gray News) - Dozens of people are being monitored for potential exposure to monkeypox after a man in Dallas was confirmed to have the virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the man had recently traveled from Nigeria to the United States.
He flew from Lagos, Nigeria to Atlanta on July 8 with arrival on July 9, then from Atlanta to Dallas, the CDC said.
His case of monkeypox was confirmed on July 15, 2021.
The CDC is working with airline and state and local health officials to track down and assess passengers who may have come in contact with the patient during the flights.
According to a spokesperson with the CDC, more than 200 people in 25 states and a few other countries have been identified for monitoring, but so far no additional cases have been detected.
“Monkeypox is primarily spread through respiratory droplets,” according to the CDC, so officials believe there is a low risk the virus spread as travelers are currently required to wear masks in flight.
The CDC says human-to-human transmission is rare, and this is the first confirmed case in the United States since an outbreak in 2003.
According to the CDC, symptoms of monkeypox are similar, but milder than those of smallpox and begin with:
- fever
- headache
- muscle aches
- backache
- swollen lymph nodes
- chills
- exhaustion
A few days after the onset of a fever, the patient develops a rash. The CDC says the illness usually lasts for 2-4 weeks.
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