Massachusetts Confirms Two More Monkeypox Cases

MASSACHUSETTS — Public heath officials in Massachusetts announced two more confirmed cases of Monkeypox Sunday.

The two cases are connected to each other but are not believed to be linked to the first U.S. case identified in Massachusetts in May. Health officials are conducting contact tracing to identify people who may have been exposed while the two patients isolate near Boston.

The U.S. has seen a total of 49 confirmed cases of Monkeypox this year to date, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Globally, there have been no deaths associated to this outbreak of Monkeypox, the CDC reports. Recovery from the virus generally takes between 2 and 4 weeks.

The CDC says monkeypox symptoms are similar to but milder than smallpox: fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion are common. Unlike smallpox, though, monkeypox causes swelling of the lymph nodes. One to three days after a fever appears, monkeypox patients develop a rash.

Monkeypox isn't easily spread; it usually occurs through bites or scratches from rodents and small mammals, preparing wild game or coming into contact with an infected animal. Individuals can also be infected through contact with infected people, their clothing or bedsheets.