Texas, CDC confirm case of human monkeypox in traveler who flew from Nigeria to Dallas

DALLAS, Texas – A traveler is hospitalized in Dallas with a case of human monkey pox after a recent visit to Nigeria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a statement released Friday, the CDC said the case was confirmed by federal and state health officials on Thursday.

The traveler, who has not been identified, took a flight to the United States from Lagos, Nigeria on July 8. He landed in Atlanta the next day, according to the CDC. From there, the traveler would have boarded a flight from Atlanta to Dallas.

The CDC said all people on those two flights who might have come into contact with the traveler were being contacted with help from the airline, state and local health authorities.

“Travelers on these flights were required to wear masks, as well as at US airports due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the risk of monkey pox spreading via respiratory droplets to d ‘other people on planes and at airports are low,’ the CDC said in a statement.

Monkeypox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, but causes a milder infection. The CDC says it’s a rare but potentially serious viral illness that usually begins with flu-like illness and swollen lymph nodes.

It progresses to a rash on the face and body. Most infections last two to four weeks.

In this case, the CDC says laboratory tests have shown the traveler to be infected with a strain of monkeypox most commonly seen in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria.

Prior to this case, at least six cases of monkey pox have been reported in travelers returning from Nigeria, including cases in the UK, Israel and Singapore. This case is unrelated to any of those previous cases, according to the CDC.

Infections with this strain of monkeypox can be fatal in about 1 in 100 people. However, the rates may be higher in people with weakened immune systems.

Monkey pox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a smallpox-like disease appeared in colonies of monkeys kept for research, according to the CDC.

The first human case of monkey pox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, monkey pox has been reported in humans in other countries in Central and West Africa.