New York City investigating possible monkeypox case

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New York City investigating possible monkeypox case

After unusual clusters of the rare monkeypox virus emerged in Europe, New York City health authorities announced on Thursday that they were investigating a possible case of the rare disease.

The city health department said little about the patient, who is currently in isolation at Bellevue Hospital. According to one official, the patient arrived at the hospital Thursday.

Patient samples will be sent to the city's public health lab for a preliminary test, and if that comes back positive, samples will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to verify whether the illness is actually monkeypox, according to the health authorities.

A man in Massachusetts has been diagnosed with the disease, and the news of the possible case comes a day after he was diagnosed with the disease. He had recently traveled to Canada, which is currently investigating more than 15 suspected cases in and around Montreal.