Identification of nearly 20 new cases of monkey pox in North America

According to IRNA, Canada identified 10 new cases of monkey pox on Thursday, while the United States has confirmed 9 new cases in its 7 states. The World Health Organization has so far registered about 200 cases of the virus that have recently spread worldwide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cases have been identified in Massachusetts, Florida, Utah, Washington, California, Virginia and New York. The Canadian Public Health Agency also announced 10 new cases of smallpox, bringing the total number of people infected with the virus, which originated in Africa, to 26.

The province of Quebec in Canada alone reported 25 cases, an increase of nine since Wednesday.

Monkey pox, which commonly occurs in remote areas of central and western Africa, was first seen in caged monkeys in 1958, and a decade later in 1970 (1948-49), the first A human case was registered.

Cases have since been reported sporadically in 11 African countries. Nigeria experienced the highest prevalence in 2017 with 172 suspected and 61 confirmed cases, with three-quarters of cases affecting men aged 21 to 40.

Historically, cases seen outside of Africa have been rare and have usually been caused by international travel or imported animals. Previous cases have been reported in Israel, Britain, Singapore, and the United States. In 2003, there were 81 “plain dogs” reported in the United States infected by imported animals.