Days after unusual groups of the rare smallpox virus emerged in Europe, New York health officials said Thursday they were investigating a possible case of the rare disease.
Authorities said little about the patient, who is currently in isolation at Bellevue Hospital, according to a statement from the city’s health department. The patient arrived at the hospital on Thursday, according to one official.
Patients’ samples will be sent to the city’s public health lab for a preliminary test, and if positive, samples will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm whether the disease is actually monkeypox, according to health officials.
The news of the possible case comes a day after a man in Massachusetts was diagnosed with the disease. He had recently traveled to Canada, which is currently investigating more than 15 alleged cases in and around Montreal.
Groups of cases of monkeypox have recently been identified in Britain and Portugal, while Spain is investigating suspected cases of the virus. Sweden and Italy reported cases Thursday. Patients in the UK and Canada are mostly men who have sex with men.
According to the CDC, monkeypox can be spread through the respiratory droplets of an infected person, as well as through contact with body fluids and wounds known to the virus. It can also be spread through contaminated objects.
The viral disease is associated with smallpox, but is milder and less contagious. It does not usually cause large outbreaks.
The first outbreak in the United States occurred nearly 20 years ago and most likely infected about 47 people. It is believed to have started with the import of infected squirrels and other rodents from Ghana. They in turn infect prairie dogs, which are subsequently sold as pets.
Infected people usually experience fever and body aches before developing the disease-specific rash. The red bumps turn into pus-filled blisters that form a crust. The disease can be treated with an antiviral drug.
City health officials said Thursday that investigators will try to find people who have recently been in contact with the patient in Bellevue.
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