Monkeypox found in US and UK: What is it and should you be worried?

Written by: Damian Shepherd & Ritsuko Ando | Bloomberg

The case, the first in the US so far this year, follows reports of scattered cases in Europe, including seven in the UK and others in Portugal and Spain.

A case of the rare and potentially dangerous monkeypox has been confirmed in the US after infections were reported across Europe.

The infected man had recently traveled to Canada and is now receiving treatment in hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Department of  said the case poses no risk to the public.

The case, the first in the US so far this year, follows reports of scattered cases in Europe, including seven in the  and  in Portugal and Spain.  officials in Canada are investigating up to 13 cases in Montreal, Radio-Canada reported.

So what is monkeypox, and should you be worried?

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a rare, usually mild infection, typically caught from infected wild animals in parts of Africa. It was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys kept for research — hence the name — with the first human case recorded in 1970, according to the CDC. The disease is a relative of smallpox, causing a rash that often begins on the face, according to the UK’s NHS website.

How can you catch it?

Read more

 

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