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According to the CDC, travelers should:
- Avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions.
- Avoid contact with dead or live wild animals such as small mammals including rodents (rats, squirrels) and non-human primates (monkeys, apes).
- Avoid eating or preparing meat from wild game (bushmeat) or using products derived from wild animals from Africa (creams, lotions, powders).
- Avoid contact with contaminated materials used by sick people (such as clothing, bedding, or materials used in healthcare settings) or that came into contact with infected animals.
The highest alert level — Level 3 — would caution against nonessential travel.
"Risk to the general public is low, but you should seek medical care immediately if you develop new, unexplained skin rash (lesions on any part of the body), with or without fever and chills, and avoid contact with others," the CDC said. "If possible, call ahead before going to a healthcare facility. If you are not able to call ahead, tell a staff member as soon as you arrive that you are concerned about monkeypox."
There were 1,019 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox in 29 countries as of Monday, according to the CDC, with 30 cases in the United States. New York has the most cases of any state with seven. For a map of cases by state, click here.
According to the CDC, monkeypox presents as a flu-like illness accompanied by:
- Swelling of the lymph nodes
- Rashes and lesions on the face and body
- Fever
- Chills
- Muscle aches
In addition, the World Health Organization named these other possible symptoms:
- Headache
- Back pain
- Asthenia (profound weakness)
The WHO said that "current evidence suggests that those who are most at risk are those who have had close physical contact with someone with monkeypox, while they are symptomatic."
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