Southern 7 Health Dept. confirms 1st case of monkeypox in region

SOUTHERN Ill. (KFVS) - The Southern 7 Health Department confirmed the first case of monkeypox in the region.

According to a release from the health department, they were notified on Wednesday, September 7 of a resident who tested positive for the virus.

They said they’re collaborating with the Illinois Department of Public Health to complete contact tracing for the case to identify any close contacts and provide vaccines to those identified as an exposure risk.

“Monkeypox is rare and most commonly spreads between people with close contact,” said Rhonda Andrews-Ray, S7HD executive director/public health administrator. “The threat of monkeypox to the general U.S population remains low.”

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside of the mouth and other parts of the body. You can find more information here.

Since March 2022 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported globally in 69 countries that do not normally report monkeypox.

According to the CDC, person-to-person transmission is possible through close physical contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact.

They said monkeypox symptoms usually start within three weeks of exposure to the virus.

The health department said people who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. However, anyone in close contact with a person with monkeypox can get it and should take steps to protect themselves.

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