The U.S. has now recorded one case of monkeypox, in Massachusetts on Wednesday, and a suspected case in New York City on Thursday. The rare disease is typically found in central and west Africa. A small number of confirmed or suspected cases have also been reported recently in the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Sweden.
The sudden surge of cases has prompted concern from public health professionals.“Monkeypox usually does not occur globally,” Dr. Anne W. Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, told USA TODAY. Rimoin, who has extensively studied monkeypox and other infectious diseases in Central Africa, said such outbreaks are “rare and unusual occurrence.”
Although most people recover from the virus, it can be dangerous and fatal, though typically far fewer than 1% of cases in areas with high-quality medical care, said Dr. Aaron Glatt, a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.