The United States has one confirmed case of monkeypox and four suspects.

USA To date, one confirmed case of monkey pox and four other suspects, all of them men, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Monday.

The confirmed one, which has been known since last week, is a patient from the state of Massachusetts (Northeast), while the other possible cases are in New York City, the state of Florida and two in Utah.

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The four suspects are people infected with viruses belonging to the monkeypox family.but in which the exact strain has not yet been determined, CDC spokesmen said in a telephone press conference.

The confirmed case, meanwhile, has the same genetic sequence found in a patient from Portugal and belongs to a strain originating in West Africa.

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According to the deputy director of the CDC, Jennifer McQuiston, it is “likely” that more cases of monkeypox will be detected in the country in the coming weeks, given the increase in Europe.

The monkey pox is a viral zoonotic disease, which means that it can be transmitted from animals to humans, although it can also spread between people.

Its transmission takes place through the contact with wounds, body fluids, droplets and contaminated material (such as bedding). Its incubation period is usually from six to thirteen days, although it can last up to 21 days.

Symptoms are similar to those of eradicated smallpox, but somewhat milder: They include fever, headache, muscle and back pain, chills and exhaustion, and there is often swollen glands and a skin rash.

CDC epidemiologist John Brooks said on the call that while this disease is having a stronger incidence among the gay and bisexual community, it does not mean that the rest of the population cannot be infected.

The experts explained that it is not exactly a sexually transmitted disease, although it can be transmitted during sex due to the intense friction between bodies and by sharing the same bed and sheets.

They also detailed that in several cases the first parts of the body to present a skin rash are the genital areas and the anus.

This same Monday, the US president, Joe Biden, assured from Tokyo that his country is well prepared to deal with the risks posed by monkeypox, by having sufficient vaccines, and that he is not going to apply quarantines as other countries are doing. .

Source: Elcomercio

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