The affected person is currently in a hospital and is receiving treatment. The CDC is working with the airline and a number of other organisations to track down passengers of the affected flight who may have been in contact with the infected person. In an urgent statement, the CDC said: “CDC is working with the airline and state and local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient during two flights: Lagos, Nigeria, to Atlanta on July 8, with arrival on July 9; and Atlanta to Dallas on July 9.”
The statement, however, added the risk of infection is minimal as most passengers, if not all, were wearing face masks during the flight.
The CDC added: “Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a widespread rash on the face and body.
“Most infections last 2-4 weeks. Monkeypox is in the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes a milder infection.
“In this case, laboratory testing at CDC showed the patient is infected with a strain of monkeypox most commonly seen in parts of West Africa, including Nigeria. Infections with this strain of monkeypox are fatal in about 1 in 100 people.
“However, rates can be higher in people who have weakened immune systems.”
Experts are not exactly sure where monkeypox comes from in nature.
They believe that it could be spread through African rodents and small mammals.
People can get the virus when they are bitten or scratched by an infected animal.
READ MORE: Monkeypox UK warning: How do you catch monkeypox – what are the signs?