According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there’s been 35 confirmed cases of monkeypox nationwide. Now, the first case of monkeypox found in the state outside of New York City was confirmed in the Hudson Valley, specifically in Sullivan County, where public health officials are responding.
After two years of battling a pandemic, the county health department staff said they were ready.
"We can pretty much handle anything that comes at us. We've been there for measles. We've been there for COVID," said Haley Matola, an epidemiologist with the Sullivan County Health Department.
What You Need To Know
- The CDC says there are 35 cases of monkeypox in the U.S.
- The CDC is asking health care officials to be on the lookout for patients with rash illnesses
- Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, chills, headaches and rashes or lesions
Monkeypox is an infectious disease commonly found among the populations of African nations, but it has now spread into Europe and the U.S.
New York City confirmed at least eight known cases, and on Tuesday, the state Department of Health said the first case of monkeypox outside of New York City was found in Sullivan County.
Health officials said the person recently returned to the U.S. from a trip to Europe.
"By the time they made it to Sullivan County, they were no longer contagious," said Jenna Knox, a public health nurse.
According to the CDC, symptoms of monkeypox can include:
- fever
- headache
- muscle aches
- backache
- swollen lymph nodes
- chills
- exhaustion
- a rash or lesions on the face and other parts of the body.
The unidentified person in Sullivan County went to a doctor, who tested them for the virus after the person displayed symptoms. The county Health Department conducted contact tracing, and said neighbors shouldn’t be concerned.
"Right now, community transmission is not happening in Sullivan County," said Matola. "It's actually a disease that is not easily transmitted. You need to have close contact, skin-to-skin contact. It can be spread through respiratory droplets, large respiratory droplets, so within six feet usually with health care workers or household contacts."
While the virus is something to take seriously, health experts believe monkeypox won’t reach pandemic levels like COVID.
"It's not something with a high transmissibility rate," said Matola.
Health officials said if you notice any new lesions, especially if you've recently traveled abroad, you should contact your doctor immediately. For more information on monkeypox, you can go to the CDC website.