Monkeypox has piqued the interest of US President Joe Biden, who stated on Sunday that people should be on the lookout for the disease, which has the potential to have “significant” consequences if it spreads further.
Since early May, several instances of monkeypox have been discovered in North America and Europe, raising fears that the disease, which is prevalent in areas of Africa, is spreading.
On his first trip to Asia as president, the US president stated in Seoul that health officials had not fully briefed him on “the extent of exposure” in the US.
Before boarding Air Force One to go to Tokyo, Biden told reporters, “But it is something that everyone should be concerned about.”
“It’s a concern because, if it spreads, it could be disastrous,” he continued.
“We’re working really hard to figure out what we’re going to do and if there’s a vaccination for it.”
On May 18, Massachusetts became the first US state to report a case in the ongoing global outbreak, which was followed by Florida on Sunday.
Authorities in the southern state said they were looking into the first suspected case of monkeypox in someone who had recently visited overseas.
Thousands of human infections have been reported in portions of Central and Western Africa in recent years, although they are uncommon in Europe and North America.
Monkeypox is only lethal in rare situations, and most people recover within a few weeks.
According to the World Health Organization, there were 92 confirmed instances of monkeypox in nations where the illness is not prevalent as of Saturday.
Animals transmit the virus to people, which causes symptoms that are comparable to smallpox but are less severe clinically.
