The first case of monkeypox in the United States has been discovered.

Monkeypox is spreading across the globe, and the unusual virus has now entered our country.

A Massachusetts man tested positive for monkeypox on Tuesday, marking the first instance of the disease in the United States this year... health officials have stated.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the guy recently traveled to Canada, and the CDC confirmed his positive test result.

The Maryland Department of Public Health says the individual is in good health and poses no threat to the public, though they are working with the CDC on contact tracing.

Monkeypox is exceedingly rare in the United States, with only three confirmed cases since 2003, yet it is on the rise around the world... Since May, nine new cases have been discovered in the United Kingdom, with another five in Portugal.

The monkeypox virus causes the disease, and it belongs to the same virus family as chickenpox and smallpox. Outside of Africa, it's extremely rare, and the CDC says the virus doesn't exist naturally in the United States.

When an infected animal, generally a primate or a rodent, bites or scratches a human, monkeypox is transmitted... or from hunting wild animals or preparing wild game.

When a person contracts the disease, it can spread by bodily fluids and breathing droplets in the air during prolonged face-to-face contact.

Fever, headache, chills, rash, muscle aches, and lesions comparable to smallpox are all signs of monkeypox. It is especially dangerous for young children.