"Today (Saturday), we confirmed the first case of monkeypox imported from Mexico. This is a 50 year-old permanent New York City resident who was probably infected in the Netherlands. His condition is stable, and he is currently in administrative segregation. He said that he hoped he would recover without complications.

Friday saw the confirmation by Argentine health officials of the first two cases in Argentina and the region.

Monkeypox, an infectious disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans, is caused by a virus. Although transmission from person to person is possible, it is rare. In 1970, the disease was first detected in humans. It was discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is now considered an endemic disease in more than a dozen African nations.

So far, there have been no confirmed cases of death in regions that are not endemic.