First case of monkeypox in a Milwaukee resident identified, Health Department says

The first case of monkeypox in a Milwaukee resident was identified Saturday and local health officials expect more cases in the coming weeks.

The person with the newly identified case is isolating and close contacts have been notified, according to a statement from the Milwaukee Health Department.

The discovery of the case — the second in the state — was not a surprise, given the increasing number of cases across the nation, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson said in the statement.

The state's first case, in Dane County, was reported July 1.

"While the disease is not easily spread from person to person without direct contact, we anticipate more cases will emerge in the coming weeks," Johnson said. "To control the spread, we encourage residents to be aware of the symptoms, follow prevention recommendations, and seek medical attention when needed."

Still, this is not the same as the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.

People who contract monkeypox generally don't experience symptoms until seven to 14 days after they're infected.

The first symptoms are headache, fever, muscle aches and fatigue, but patients infected with the disease later develop swelling of the lymph nodes and a red rash that produces blisters called pustules.

The pustules caused by monkeypox are small, distinct bumps that may appear similar to those caused by chickenpox, though the two viruses are not related.

Cases that have been recently identified have included symptoms such as skin lesions in the genital, groin, and anal areas that could be confused with rashes caused by herpes, syphilis or other common diseases, according to the Health Department.

Close, often skin-to-skin contact can spread monkeypox, primarily at this point through direct contact with a monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with the illness. It can also be spread by touching objects, fabrics and surfaces after a person with monkeypox or through close respiratory secretions, according to the department.

Ways to prevent the spread of the disease include:

• Avoiding close skin-to-skin contact with a monkeypox rash or scabs, including through kissing, hugging, cuddling or sex.

• Contacting a health care provider as soon as possible after exposure or symptoms develop in order to receive testing and care. Those without a health care provider may contact their local health department for guidance.

• For those with the disease, isolating at home until the rash has fully resolved, scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed.

Most cases have not involved serious illness, and few have required hospitalization. There have been no fatalities from monkeypox in the United States.

Milwaukee County Chief Health Policy Advisor Ben Weston, a leading voice locally throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, noted in a thread on Twitter that the situation with monkeypox is different.

"It is far less transmissible and in the current outbreaks, less deadly," he wrote. "But there is still much we don't know about this disease and why it is spreading so rapidly now."

Monkeypox vaccines are preventative and can be administered to people who have been exposed to confirmed cases. They are not administered once a person develops symptoms, which usually recede within one to two weeks.

Contact Alison Dirr at 414-224-2383 or adirr@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter @AlisonDirr.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Monkeypox identified in Milwaukee resident, Health Department says