A MONKEYPOX survivor is sharing his experience with the virus as an increasing number of states report suspected cases.

Cases have now been confirmed in the US, المملكة المتحدة, البرتغال, and Italy, while potential cases are being investigated in Canada and Spain.

تقريبا 20 منذ سنوات, Wisconsin had its own outbreak and the new cases hold painful memories for survivor Dr Kurt Zaeske.

عودة في 2003, he was a veterinarian who came in contact with the virus from a prairie dog he was treating.

“Within about 48 hours of my handling that specimen, I became ill,” he told local news outlet WISN.

Zaeske developed lesions similar to chickenpox and suffered from nausea, dizziness, and a high fever.

“I started developing a blister on my thumb that didn’t look right, didn’t act right,” he said back in 2003, after being quarantined for two weeks.

Cases across the state sprouted up at the time, causing health officials to warn the public. Dr Seth Foldy was the Milwaukee Health Commissioner.

“Direct contact with the skin lesion of monkeypox can transmit the virus,” he said in 2003.

في الولايات المتحدة, 71 cases of monkeypox were reported in 2003 و 39 of those cases were in Wisconsin.

Nearly two decades later, there hasn’t been a single case of the virus reported in the state, ومع ذلك, officials said they’re ready if the disease returns.

“This is not something that’s completely unfamiliar to us,” said current Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson.

“There is a process within the state of Wisconsin and in the Milwaukee Health Department with how you manage the communicable disease, of which monkeypox is one, and we’re prepared to manage it.”

Zaeske believes that the public is more prepared now, مقارنة ب 19 منذ سنوات.

“We did not know what was going to happen (ومن بعد)," هو قال.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Massachusetts.

A possible case was reported in Bellevue Hospital in New York City.

“We are investigating a possible case of monkeypox in NYC,” read a tweet from the @nycHealthy الحساب.

“Our Public Health Lab will conduct preliminary tests, الذي – if positive – will be sent to @CDCgov for confirmatory testing.

“The Department’s epidemiologists will follow up with any individual who may have been in contact with the patient while infectious,” read a statement from the Department of Health and Hygiene in the state.

MONKEYPOX SYMPTOMS

There are two main strains of the virus: the Congo strain, which has a 10 percent mortality rate, and the West African strain, which only has a fatality rate of one percent.

Spots often start on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, يقول الخبراء.

The disease is a viral infection, similar to smallpox but milder.

The rash affects the face mostly (95 percent of cases) and hands (75 نسبه مئويه), according to the World Health Organization (من الذى).

During the illness, the rash changes from raised red bumps to spots filled with fluid.

The spots eventually erupt and form scabs, which later fall off.

The infection causes two periods of illness. In the first phase, up to five days, patients can suffer:

• A high temperature – 38C or above.
• A headache
• Muscle aches
• Backache
• Swollen glands
• Chills
• Exhaustion