While monkeypox is exceedingly rare in the U.S., health authorities have successfully contained an outbreak of the disease once before, nearly two decades ago—leaving us better prepared to address what could potentially become a second large outbreak.
The first cases of monkeypox in humans ever reported outside the continent of Africa occurred in the U.S. during a 2003 outbreak. A total of 47 “confirmed and probable cases” were reported in six states , all of which were linked to people who had contact with pet prairie dogs, according to theInvestigators ultimately traced the outbreak back to a shipment of small animals imported from Ghana to Texas. Among the nine species in the shipment were six kinds of rodents.
Some of these infected animals wound up at an animal vendor facility in Illinois, where they were housed next to prairie dogs. Then those infected prairie dogs were bought as pets , which in turn infected their owners or other people who came into close contact with them.
Symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox but milder. Symptoms usually begin one to two weeks after exposure. Early on, this can include fever, headache, exhaustion, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes , according to the. One to three days later, a rash appears, often starting on the face and then spreading to other areas of the body. The lesions change over time, eventually turning into pustules and then scabs before falling off. People are usually sick for two to four weeks.
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