Another NC county reports 1st monkeypox case. Sick person in isolation.
Orange County reported its first confirmed case of monkeypox Wednesday, according to a health department news release.
“We have been preparing for a case of monkeypox and now that it is here, we want our community to be aware of this disease so that those at risk can seek medical care and get tested promptly if they have symptoms,” Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart said.
The department is not releasing additional details about the patient, she said, but the person has been asked to remain isolated until they no longer have symptoms.
Meanwhile, the health department’s communicable disease team is working to notify people who may have been in close contact with the person, and will share information about possible symptoms, testing, treatment and vaccination with those individuals, officials said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified nearly 13,000 cases of monkeypox in the United States since May, when the infection migrated from Africa to Europe.
North Carolina reported 188 confirmed cases as of Wednesday morning, putting it among the nation’s top 15 states reporting monkeypox infections, CDC data showed. Mecklenburg County leads North Carolina with the most cases, followed by Guilford, Durham, Wake and Buncombe counties, N.C. health officials have said.
The rare but potentially serious viral infection has been largely found among gay and bisexual men. However, anyone can contract the disease, which spreads via direct contact with bodily fluids, infected surfaces, and through prolonged, face-to-face contact.
Symptoms typically start within three weeks of exposure and can be similar to the flu, including fever, chills, head and muscle aches, exhaustion, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms bumps filled with fluid that then scab over on the skin.
The illness can last for two to four weeks, health officials said.
Anyone who thinks they have been exposed to monkeypox should contact their primary care doctor or the local health department, health officials said. Orange County has posted more information online at orangecountync.gov/2941/Monkeypox.
The illness is rarely fatal, with more than 99% of those infected recovering, officials have said. Those with the highest risk of death or serious illness include:
▪ People with weakened immune systems
▪ Children under age 8
▪ People with a history of eczema
▪ People who are pregnant or breastfeeding
Health officials have encouraged those at high risk to get vaccinated. The vaccine Jynneos can prevent infections and reduce the severity of symptoms in those who contract the illness, officials said.
That includes people who have been in contact with someone infected with monkeypox, and gay or bisexual men or transgender people who may have contracted a sexually transmitted infection, take an HIV prevention drug, such as PrEP, or may have had multiple possible exposures to the virus through sex in the last 90 days.
Health officials noted that North Carolina’s vaccine supply is limited and being distributed through seven county health departments, including Durham County, which also serves Orange County residents.
