Just as one pandemic seems to be winding down, another disease is starting to spread across the globe. Monkeypox has been reported in a variety of countries. Now, in an an effort to help contain monkeypox, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel advisory for the disease.
The CDC has issued a Level 2 alert for a handful of countries and is asking travelers to take some precautions to avoid cases.
Monkeypox symptoms typically include a fever, rash, malaise, headache and muscle aches.
The CDC recommends avoiding:
- Close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions
- Contact with dead or live wild animals such as small mammals including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes)
- Eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products derived from wild animals from Africa (creams, lotions, powders)
- Contact with contaminated materials used by sick people (such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings) or that came into contact with infected animals.
- The CDC said the risk of monkeypox to the public is low but you should avoid contact with others if you develop an unexplained skin rash.
The CDC adds that “risk to the general public is low, but you should seek medical care immediately if you develop new, unexplained skin rash (lesions on any part of the body), with or without fever and chills, and avoid contact with others.”
According to the CDC, monkeypox cases have been reported in the following countries:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
England
France
Germany
Israel
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United States
