Indiana has recorded 5 cases of monkeypox, according to the CDC
Clarification: A previous version of this story said that there were five confirmed cases of monkeypox in the state, based on a CDC report that listed confirmed cases. According to the Indiana Department of Health, four are probable and one is confirmed.
There are now five cases of monkeypox in Indiana, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Out of the five cases, four are probable cases of monkeypox and one is confirmed, Megan Wade-Taxter, spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Health, told IndyStar Thursday. Due to privacy reasons, the department is not releasing any additional information about the cases.
The first probable case of monkeypox in Indiana was identified on June 18. At this time, there are over 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S., according to the CDC.
Monkeypox symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle and back aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion, according to the CDC. Symptoms will likely start about five to 21 days after exposure, the Indiana Department of Health said.
One to three days following the fever, the patient will develop a rash, usually starting on the face and spreading to other parts of the body, according to the state health department.
The illness generally lasts two to four weeks, the CDC said. Monkeypox can spread to others until the rash heals fully and a new layer of skin has formed. People can spread the virus to each other through contact with infectious rash, scabs or bodily fluids or through respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face or intimate physical contact.
The virus can also be spread through touching items that have previously had contact with the infected rash or bodily fluids. If a pregnant person has monkeypox, they can spread it to the fetus through the placenta.
People can also get monkeypox from interactions with infected animals, either by eating or preparing infected meat or products or if they are scratched or bitten by the infected animal.
What to do if you think you have monkeypox
Asymptomatic people cannot spread monkeypox, the CDC said.
There are several "epidemiologic criteria" for monkeypox, meaning situations that would make someone more susceptible to catching the virus.
These include close contact with someone who has a confirmed or probable case of monkeypox or a similar rash, or who has traveled outside the U.S. to a country with confirmed cases of the virus or where monkeypox is endemic.
Anyone who meets one or more of these criteria and where there is a high suspicion of disease should be tested, according to the state health department.
If there is a suspected monkeypox case, clinicians should call the Indiana Department of Health's Epidemiology Resource Center for consultation and testing.
Call 317-233- 7125 from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours, call 317-233-1325.
Contact IndyStar trending reporter Claire Rafford at crafford@gannett.com or on Twitter @clairerafford.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana health: CDC lists 5 monkeypox cases in the state
