The United States recorded the first case of monkeypox on Wednesday, a disease limited to Africa in recent years but now spreading through an outbreak in Europe and has already jumped the Atlantic Ocean.
This is a man from Massachusetts who recently traveled to Canada, where several cases have also been detected.
Health authorities are investigating whether his case is related to the outbreaks in Europe.
He is hospitalized but his life is not in danger, although according to the World Health Organization up to 10% of those infected may die from this disease.
In addition to the US and Canada, cases have been detected in Portugal, Spain, the UK and Sweden.
This is what is known so far:
What is the origin of the disease?
This disease is caused by a virus of the smallpox family;
It is called monkey because it was discovered in these animals in 1958, although it is also present in rodents.
The first case in humans was detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the newspaper El País and the NBC News network.
The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that several African countries have detected and controlled outbreaks of monkeypox as the entire planet also battled the coronavirus pandemic.
The case detected this week in the United States is the first this year, but in 2021, Texas and Maryland reported one case in each of these states in people who traveled to Nigeria.
They confirm the first case of monkeypox in the US. A specialist explains how to identify it
May 19, 202200:53
How is it spread?
"The disease is contracted through wild animals when a person is in contact with them and the animal bites them or the person has a scratch," Dr. Ilan Shapiro, a medical specialist with the AltaMed organization, told Noticias Telemundo.
People in Africa have commonly been infected by bites from rodents or small animals, but the disease does not usually spread easily from person to person.
Even so, the World Health Organization indicated that it can be transmitted through droplets of fluids or by direct contact with the skin or contaminated objects.
It poses an added risk for children and pregnant women, who can transmit the disease to the fetus.
Is it sexually transmitted?
The recent pattern in Europe of cases among men who had sex has raised questions among public health experts, since monkeypox
is not considered a sexually transmitted infection.
Thus, the disease could be transmitted because these people were in contact, regardless of their sexual relations, and from there it can pass to anyone regardless of their sexual orientation.
"We are especially urging gay and bisexual men to be vigilant for any unusual rashes or lesions and to contact a sexual health service without delay if in doubt," said Dr. Susan Hopkins of the UK Health Security Agency.
The hands of a patient with a rash due to monkeypox.CDC/BRIAN WJ MAHY / via REUTERS
What are the symptoms of the disease?
The disease is usually mild, but some cases can be fatal.
In Africa, about one in 10 people who get monkeypox dies, according to the CDC.
Most, however, recover in two to four weeks.
Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, chills, tiredness, and headache, muscle pain, and back pain, as well as a rash that often starts on the face and quickly spreads to other parts, including the genitals.
The incubation period usually ranges from 6 to 16 days, but can be as long as 21, and the clinical manifestation is often mild.
When will the baby formula shortage end with Biden's new measures?
May 19, 202202:46
How can I know if I am infected?
The Massachusetts Department of Health advised doctors to consider monkeypox as the potential diagnosis if a person meets the following criteria:
You have an unexplained rash.
You have traveled in the last 30 days to a country with recent confirmed or suspected cases.
You have been in contact with a confirmed or suspected case.
He is a man who claims to have had sexual contact with other men.
How is this disease combated?
The World Health Organization indicates that the conventional smallpox vaccine is quite effective against this disease, and in fact Spain announced this Thursday that it will buy thousands of doses of an approved vaccine against traditional smallpox.
Traditional smallpox was eradicated 40 years ago and immunization campaigns ended soon after, so younger generations don't have that protection.