An Iowa man has been infected with the state’s first possible case of smallpox, according to health officials. The man likely became infected during a recent international trip and is in isolation, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Officials are conducting contact tracing to track potential exposure to other people. The virus originates in wild animals, but is occasionally transferred to humans, and most cases have been confined to central and western Africa. WHO RENAMES CHILD BLESSING VIRUS AFTER SCIENTISTS WORRIES IT IS ‘DISCRIMINATING AND STIMULATING’ In this graphic brochure from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of one of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus appear on a patient’s hand. (Courtesy of CDC/Getty Images) Recent outbreaks of monkeypox have traveled far beyond Africa and have been reported in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, the United States and more. Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, severe headache, back pain, muscle aches, lack of energy and a skin rash, according to the World Health Organization. WHAT TO DO IF YOU’RE STICKED: SYMPTOMS, VACCINATION AND TREATMENTS A health care worker prepares a syringe at a monkeypox vaccination clinic run by the CIUSSS public health authorities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 6, 2022. (REUTERS/Christinne Muschi) On June 28, US health officials expanded guidelines for people who should be vaccinated against monkeypox to include men who have recently had sex with other men at a party. In the United States, approximately 460 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 32 states. The World Health Organization said on June 27 that the current monkeypox outbreak is “moderate” and also said the number of cases is “likely to be underestimated”. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The overall risk is assessed as moderate at [the] Globally, as this is the first time cases and clusters are reported simultaneously in five WHO Regions,” the WHO said. “Regionally, the risk is considered high in the European Region due to its exposure to a geographically widespread outbreak involving several recently affected countries as well as a somewhat atypical clinical presentation of cases. In other WHO Regions, the risk is considered moderate taking into account the epidemiological patterns, the potential risk of introduction of cases and the possibilities of case detection and outbreak response.’ The Associated Press contributed to this report. Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @asabes10.
