Say What Now? CDC says US Traveler Contracted Monkeypox

Just as positive test results for a new variation of COVID-19 have begun to skyrocket, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that there is another virus to be aware of in the U.S.

via: CNN

Monkeypox is a relative of smallpox, but it’s less transmissible and less deadly. Smallpox was eradicated in 1979 through a global vaccination campaign.

The CDC and health officials in Dallas said although the traveler flew while infected, they don’t believe it’s likely anyone else on the flight was infected. They’re checking just in case, though.

“The individual is a City of Dallas resident who traveled from Nigeria to Dallas, arriving at Love Field airport on July 9, 2021. The person is hospitalized in Dallas and is in stable condition,” the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

“We have been working closely with the CDC and DSHS (the Texas Department of State Health Services) and have conducted interviews with the patient and close contacts that were exposed,” said DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang. “We have determined that there is very little risk to the general public.”

The CDC said it was working to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient during two flights: Lagos, Nigeria, to Atlanta on July 8, with arrival on July 9; and Atlanta to Dallas on July 9.

“Travelers on these flights were required to wear masks as well as in the U.S. airports due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it’s believed the risk of spread of monkeypox via respiratory droplets to others on the planes and in the airports is low. Working with airline and state and local health partners, CDC is assessing potential risks to those who may have had close contact with the traveler on the plane and specific settings,” the CDC said.

Rodents, including animals kept as pets, can carry monkeypox and transmit it to people. In 2003, 47 people in the US were infected with the virus. The outbreak was traced to a shipment of small mammals from Ghana that were sold as pets.

There was a smaller outbreak in Britain in 2018.

This news surfaces as the world opens back up, but the Delta variant of COVID-19 has been spreading. While monkeypox isn’t a massive issue at the moment, it’s clear that people still need to be vigilant when it comes to the sickness that kept the world indoors for most of 2020. Fix it Jesus.