The outbreak was reported in a man who traveled internationally last month to a country that also recently reported smallpox infections, the DuPage County Department of Health said. Initial trials were completed with the Illinois Department of Public Health and are now undergoing confirmatory trials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Based on the initial epidemiological features and the positive result of the orthopox virus in IDPH, health officials consider it to be a possible smallpox infection,” the DCHD said in a statement. Health officials said the case remained isolated and there was no indication of a higher risk of spreading “as smallpox does not spread as easily as COVID-19”. The latest case comes amid a rash reported in the United States and several other countries, health officials said on Thursday. Monkey pox is a rare but potentially serious viral disease that often begins with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes and develops into a rash on the face and body, say health experts. It was first observed in Africa in 1970 and is usually found in the western and central parts of the continent. The CDC is on alert after reporting cases of the virus in several countries that do not typically report smallpox cases in monkeys, including the United States. As of Friday, the CDC had reported 49 confirmed cases in several states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma. , Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington. “Usually, in a normal year, we will see some cases, mainly in West Africa, related to animals,” said Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Aroudi. “There are animals that can carry it and we will see, you know, a few dozen cases where humans can only be infected by their contact with animals. The reason that more attention has been paid is that at this point, there have been somewhere between 100 cases that have been identified and are not related to the typical way we see monkey pox. “ The virus comes from the same family as smallpox, and the World Health Organization is also urging people to be careful as nearly 200 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in at least 12 western countries. According to officials, the majority of these cases occurred in Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. “What makes it a little different is the number of cases and the countries affected by it,” he said. Irfan Hafiz of McWenry and Huntley Hospitals in Northwestern Medicine. The CDC said that “the cases involve people who identify themselves as men who had sex with men”, but stressed that anyone can be infected with the disease through prolonged contact. We already have vaccines and treatments for smallpox Hafiz, an infectious disease specialist, said the virus causes symptoms similar to several diseases, including chickenpox or smallpox. “It may, for the common man, look like chickenpox or warts,” he said. “But these (wounds) tend to be in exposed areas.” Health experts have also said that the disease can be confused with a sexually transmitted infection such as syphilis or herpes or with the varicella zoster virus. Federal health officials are urging doctors in the United States to “look into the diagnosis of monkey pox in people with a persistent rash, especially if they meet any of the following criteria:”
Has had contact with someone who had a monkey-like rash or who had been diagnosed with a confirmed or possible smallpox He had skin-to-skin contact with someone on a social network who experienced monkey pox activity. This includes men having sex with men they are dating through a website, digital app (application) or social event (eg bar or party) Travel outside the US to a country with confirmed cases of monkey pox or where monkey pox activity was ongoing Has had contact with a dead or living wild animal or exotic pet found only in Africa or used a product derived from such animals (eg game meat, creams, lotions, powders, etc.).
The virus is rarely fatal, with symptoms ranging from fever, pain and rash all over the body. “Suspicious cases may present with early flu-like symptoms and develop into lesions that may begin in one part of the body and spread to other parts,” said the Chicago Department of Public Health. The CDPH said that person-to-person transmission is possible through “close physical contact with smallpox wounds, objects contaminated with liquids or wounds (clothing, bedding, etc.) or through respiratory droplets after prolonged exposure to contact person. “ “It’s not just your occasional handshake,” Hafiz said. “(The contact must be) bigger, more intense. “It’s not technically a sexually transmitted disease, but it involves close contact.” “It takes prolonged (contact), not minutes,” added Dr. Kavita Patel, the medical associate of NBC News. “(May also include) body fluids or injuries.” Infections usually last from two to four weeks, the CDPH said. Health officials said anyone with a “new or unexplained rash, sores or symptoms or having a confirmed report” should visit the healthcare provider and “avoid sex or contact with anyone until they see him”.
