Work is underway to find contacts in both countries. Preliminary testing was done in state Department of Health laboratories, and confirmatory testing is pending at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The risk of catching monkey flu in the general public remains very low,” said Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Chris Fox. “Monkeys are rare and do not spread easily through occasional brief contact.”
On Saturday, the Houston, Texas, Department of Health confirmed the first monkey flu outbreak.
“The resident developed symptoms after returning from travel and was suffering from a mild illness,” the Houston Department of Health said in a written statement. “The resident has not been hospitalized and is isolated at home.”
The monkey is a rare infection, a much less dangerous relative of the now-extinct giant virus. It is native to parts of western and central Africa and is usually transmitted by rodents or small mammals. It is not easily transmitted from person to person.
However, the monkey virus can spread through contact with bodily fluids, monkey wounds, or objects contaminated with the virus, such as clothing and bedding. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it usually spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets in an intimate setting.
