On Wednesday, Massachusetts officials reported a rare case of monkeypox in a man who recently traveled to Canada. Health officials are investigating if this case is related to previous outbreaks in Europe.

Monkeypox is primarily confined to Africa, and uncommon instances in the United States and elsewhere are typically associated with travel to the continent. This month, a small number of confirmed or suspected cases were reported in the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Spain.

U.S. health officials said they communicate with their counterparts in the United Kingdom and Canada as part of the inquiry. Jennifer McQuiston of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated, "We have no information linking the Massachusetts case to cases in the United Kingdom."

Even though the CDC is aware of only one case in the United States, "I do believe we are preparing for the possibility of more cases," she said.

According to the officials, the U.S instance poses no risk to the public, and the hospitalized Massachusetts individual is in good condition.

McQuiston stated that the man traveled to Canada to visit friends at the end of April and returned early in May. According to a CDC statement, he utilized private transportation.

The lawsuit was the first in the United States in 2018. Last year, both Texas and Maryland recorded cases among travelers visiting Nigeria.

Typically, monkeypox begins with a flu-like illness and lymph node enlargement, followed by a rash on the face and body. In Africa, people have been infected by the bites of rats or small animals, although the disease does not typically spread rapidly between humans.

However, according to European authorities, most cases have occurred in gay or bisexual men, and officials are examining the likelihood that some illnesses were transmitted through close sexual contact.

Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox.

It is primarily moderate, although there are two major strains: the Congo strain, which has a mortality rate of up to 10 percent, and the West African strain, which has a mortality rate of approximately 1 percent. The United Kingdom has reported fewer incidences than West Africa.