Argentina reports Latin America's first confirmed case of monkeypox; man traveled from Spain

Monkeypox often starts with flu-like symptoms before causing a chickenpox-like rash on the face and body.

Argentina reported Latin America’s first confirmed case of the monkeypox virus on Friday in a man who recently traveled to Spain.

The man, who is from the province of Buenos Aires, has monkeypox but health authorities are waiting to finish sequencing the virus before making the official announcement, said an official in Argentina’s Health Ministry. The official requested anonymity until the official announcement.

It is the first time the presence of the virus has been confirmed in Latin America.

Authorities have revealed little about the patient beyond saying he traveled to Spain from April 28 through May 16 and had symptoms compatible with monkeypox, including lesions and a fever, on Sunday.

Nearly 200 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 20 countries not usually known to have outbreaks of the disease, the World Health Organization said on Friday.