The Dallas County Health Department is reporting its first case of monkeypox in North Texas.
Dallas County health officials say an unidentified person from Dallas had traveled to Nigeria and recently returned to the area via Dallas Love Field on July 9th.
Travelers on the flight were required to wear masks. Health officials believe the risk of transmission on the plane and at the airport is low.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines monkeypox as a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus.
In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to but milder than the symptoms of smallpox, according to the CDC. Monkeypox begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. The main difference between symptoms of smallpox and monkeypox is that monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy) while smallpox does not.
The CDC is assessing potential risks to those who may have had contact with the traveler on the plane or in the airports.
“While rare, this case is not a reason for alarm and we do not expect any threat to the general public. Dallas County Health and Human Services is working closely with local providers, as well as our state and federal partners,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.
The virus is difficult to transmit and is extremely rare.
"We have not had a recorded case in a Texas resident," said Chris Van Deusen with the Texas Department of State Health Services. "There were a handful of cases in 2003. Those were all related to animals that were imported from Africa in the mid-western states that spread the virus there. There were no deaths related to that."
The 2003 outbreak infected 47 people.
The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dallas County officials say the infected person is hospitalized and in stable condition.
"We have confidence in the federal, state, and local medical professionals who are working to ensure that this virus is contained and that the patient is treated with the utmost care," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.
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