BOSTON – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday it is tracking 200 contacts related to a monkey measles patient in Boston.
Most of these close contacts are health professionals who have encountered the man who is a patient at Massachusetts General Hospital. It is still the only confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States, although four others are suspected.
The Massachusetts man had recently traveled to Canada and has been receiving treatment since May 12.
The CDC is considering launching a national stockpile of smallpox vaccine to stop the outbreak.
“I think at the moment we hope to maximize the spread of the vaccine among those we know will benefit from it. So these are people who have had contact with a measles-free patient, health professionals, very close personal contact, and those in particular who may be at high risk for serious illness, “said Dr. Jennifer McQueston of the pathogens and pathology with high consequences of CDC.
A team of researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital is helping to keep the CDC informed of trends in monkeypox.
“It is clear that what we have learned over the last few days is that this virus has been spreading globally for at least a few weeks and has gone unnoticed to the point where we now see cases popping up in many countries around the world,” he said. Dr. John Braunstein of Boston Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Braunstein emphasizes that there is no serious threat that monkeypox will spread far and wide. So far, the virus has only passed between men who have had sexual intercourse. Experts hope to catch him soon enough to stop him from moving on.
“It is unlikely that we will create any kind of impact that we have seen with COVID. Given that any emerging infectious disease that comes from animal populations and returns to humans is something to be concerned about, and this virus emphasizes the importance of investing resources in identifying viruses as early as possible, before to become global problems, “Dr Braunstein told WBZ-TV.
Staff at CBBoston.com
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