TOKYO: A second case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Japan, the health ministry and the Tokyo metropolitan government said Thursday.

The patient, a man in his 30s who lives in North or Central America, is hospitalized at a medical institution in Tokyo and is in a stable condition.

According to the ministry and the metropolitan government, the man developed fatigue July 21 before entering Japan. He later developed a rash in his mouth and visited a medical institution in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The nationality of the patient has not been disclosed. It is unclear whether he has any links to Japan’s first monkeypox patient,

“He is highly likely to have been infected before entering the country,” the health ministry said.

 The metropolitan government will investigate whether he has had contact with others.

 The United States and Europe have seen a surge in monkeypox cases, with many patients experiencing symptoms such as rashes and fever.

 The virus is spread mainly by coming into contact with patients’ skin lesions and body fluids. Most cases recover naturally within two to four weeks.

“Unlike with the novel coronavirus, human-to-human transmission does not occur easily,” the health ministry said.

Japan confirmed its first monkeypox case Monday. The government is preparing to provide smallpox vaccines and treatments, which are believed to be effective against monkeypox.

JIJI Press