New monkey pox case suspected in Colorado

The number of reported monkeypox cases in the United States is now up to 12 as a second presumptive case has been identified in Colorado.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Friday that the new case involves a “young adult male who sought care in the Denver area and is improving and isolating at home.”

The young male was in close contact with a man who recently traveled to Canada and is believed to have come down with the first case of monkeypox in Colorado.

Both cases are awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Two cases each have also been reported in the states of California. Florida and Utah. 

New York, Washington, Massachusetts, and Virginia each have one reported case.

Meanwhile, Ireland confirmed its first case on Saturday, according to Reuters. A separate suspected case there is also being investigated.

The World Health Organization says around 200 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 20 countries not usually known to have outbreaks of the disease.

Monkeypox produces skin lesions and typically leaves patients with flu symptoms. It was first identified in monkeys and rarely spreads outside of Africa, which has made the latest rash of cases alarming to health officials.