Camden County sees first confirmed case of monkeypox

Camden County has seen its first confirmed case of monkeypox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health.

The resident, who traveled out of state, is isolating at home and preventative treatments were provided to close contacts, according to a news release from the county government.

The county health department has completed contact tracing, but the case remains under investigation, the release said.

A vaccine is available for high-risk contacts of an infected person and patients with monkeypox can receive an antiviral treatment, said Dr. Paschal Nwako, Camden County health officer and public health coordinator.

“The threat to Camden County residents from monkeypox is extremely low right now,” he said. “Monkeypox is very containable when immediate care has been sought for symptoms.

“There is no need for panic, but we are encouraging residents to stay vigilant and to watch for symptoms,” said Nwako.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle ache, chills, and a pimple or blister like rash, according to the CDC. Monkeypox is spread from person to person through direct contact with the rash, scabs, or body fluids. It can also spread by face-to-face contact through respiratory droplets, or during close contact such as kissing, cuddling, or sex.

According to the CDC, there are currently 460 confirmed cases of monkeypox across 31 states and Puerto Rico.

In New Jersey, there have been four cases, while nearby Pennsylvania has seen 14 and New York has seen 90 since the start of the current outbreak in May.

Recently, the state Department of Health designated Camden County as a regional storage hub for the monkeypox vaccine.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Monkeypox in NJ: Camden County has first confirmed case