US confirms monkeypox infection in man who travelled to Canada

In United States, the Massachusetts health department has confirmed a single case of monkeypox virus infection in a man who had recently travelled to Canada.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC said its labs confirmed the infection to be monkeypox on Wednesday afternoon.

The Public Health Agency of Canada late on Wednesday issued a statement saying it is aware of the monkeypox cases in Europe and is closely monitoring the current situation, adding no cases have been reported at this time.

Monkeypox, which mostly occurs in west and central Africa, is a rare viral infection similar to human smallpox, though milder. It was first recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1970s.

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