US reports case of monkeypox in resident who recently returned from Nigeria

The Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) in Texas, United States, has reported a case of monkeypox in a resident who recently returned from Nigeria.

Monkeypox is caused by a virus closely related to that which causes smallpox and cowpox, although not as deadly as smallpox.

It is spread via large respiratory droplets from someone showing symptoms of the disease, and can also be transmitted by direct contact with bodily fluids or lesion material. People who are asymptomatic cannot spread the virus.

According to the DCHHS, the individual, whose name was withheld, is a resident of Dallas, Texas who travelled from Nigeria, and arrived at Love Field airport on July 9, 2021.

“The person is hospitalised in Dallas and is in stable condition. The individual is isolated at the hospital to prevent the spread of the virus,” the agency said.

Philip Huang, DCHHS director, said the agency has been working closely with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and has conducted interviews with the patient and close contacts that were exposed.

“We have determined that there is very little risk to the general public. This is another demonstration of the importance of maintaining a strong public health infrastructure, as we are only a plane ride away from any global infectious disease,” he said.

In a statement on Friday, the CDC also said it is “working with the airline and state and local health officials 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,” CDC said.

The CDC also noted that the patient is infected with a strain of monkeypox most commonly seen in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria.

“Prior to the current case, there have been at least six reported monkeypox cases in travelers returning from Nigeria (including cases in the United Kingdom, Israel, and Singapore). This case is not related to any of these previous cases,” the centre added.