First probable case of monkeypox announced in Ingham County

Bryce Airgood, Lansing State Journal
·2 min read
2

The first probable case of the monkeypox virus has been identified in Ingham County.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently notified the Ingham County Health Department of the probable case, according to a county health department press release published Saturday.

The infected individual is isolating and does not pose a risk to the community. Health department case investigators are working to identify and monitor any people considered close contacts for symptoms; no additional cases have been identified at this time, the release states.

“The risk to the general public is low, however, anyone who has been in prolonged, face-to-face contact with someone who has monkeypox can get the illness, regardless of gender or sexual orientation,” Ingham County Health Department Health Officer Linda Vail said. “If you are concerned about monkeypox, speak with your health care provider to be evaluated for testing.”

What monkeypox rashes can look like.
What monkeypox rashes can look like.

Monkeypox spreads from person-to-person through direct contact with infectious rash, scabs or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex.

It can be spread by touching clothing or towels that have been in contact with the infectious rash or body fluids, the release states.

Monkeypox symptoms include:

  • Fever

  • Headache

  • Muscle aches and backache

  • Swollen lymph nodes

  • Chills

  • Exhaustion

  • A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus

Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms can't spread the virus to others, according to the Ingham County Health Department’s website.

There were 37 monkeypox cases in Michigan as of July 29, 2022.
There were 37 monkeypox cases in Michigan as of July 29, 2022.

Monkeypox is rarely fatal. A limited number of vaccines are available to those at greatest risk of exposure and transmission, according to the Ingham County Health Department.

Monkeypox was first identified in 1958 in monkeys in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It wasn't until 12 years later, in 1970, that the first human cases were identified, the Detroit Free Press reported.

There is a global outbreak of monkeypox totaling more than 22,000 cases in 79 countries, with 4,906 cases in the United States as of Friday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An Oakland County resident was diagnosed with the first monkeypox case in Michigan last month and there were 37 known cases in the state as of Friday morning: nine cases in Oakland County, five cases each in Macomb and Kent counties, three cases each in Washtenaw and Wayne counties outside the city of Detroit, 10 cases in Detroit, and one case each in Ionia and Montcalm counties.

More information on monkeypox can be found on the CDC’s and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ websites.

Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Ingham County announces first probable case of monkeypox