U.S. confirms monkeypox case in man who recently travelled to Canada
Global News
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health did not say where in Canada the man travelled to or when, but added the case does not pose a risk to the general public.
The first confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States this year recently travelled to Canada, health officials said Wednesday, as concern rises over the spread of the infectious virus in multiple countries.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said in a statement that an adult male tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, which was confirmed Wednesday by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The department did not say where in Canada the man travelled to or when. The case does not pose any risk to the public, officials added, but contact tracing is ongoing.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said no cases of monkeypox have been reported to the agency as of Wednesday evening.
However, Dr. Don Vinh, a microbiologist at McGill University in Montreal, told Global News he was working to confirm a suspected case who is currently being treated for symptoms of monkeypox.
The reports come as cases are emerging in the U.K., Spain and Portugal, raising concerns about further transmission.
Health officials in Spain are investigating after eight men started showing symptoms of the viral infection. Those cases have yet to be officially confirmed, and a spokesperson for Madrid’s regional health department said that the National Microbiology Centre is working to determine a final diagnosis.
