The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that 200 people are being monitored after being exposed to monkeypox.
The individuals are said to have come in contact with a man in Texas who caught the disease while traveling in Nigeria.
The man remains unidentified, though he is the first ever case of monkeypox in Texas.
He is said to be stable and in isolation by the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services on Friday.
In a CDC statement, said “CDC is working with the airline and state and local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient during two flights: Lagos, Nigeria, to Atlanta on July 8, with arrival on July 9, and Atlanta to Dallas on July 9.”
Since everyone traveling is wearing masks to protect from COVID, the CDC states that the chance of infection spreading is greatly reduced.
The monkeypox virus comes from the same family of viruses as smallpox. However, it is far less severe and less infectious.
Though extremely rare, monkeypox has been found in the US before.
A 2003 outbreak was traced back to rodents flown into the US and found in priarie pet dogs.
It is usually found in remote parts of Africa.
Symptoms are similar to the seasonal flu though also include lymph node swelling as well as rashes on the face and body.
“While rare, this is not a reason for alarm and we do not expect any threat to the general public,” says Dallas County Judge Clay Jankins.
“Dallas County Health and Human Services is working with local providers, as well as our state and federal partners.”