Wisconsin health officials monitor Oconto County residents exposed to visitor's monkeypox, say public risk is 'low'
OCONTO - Several Oconto County residents were exposed to monkeypox while in contact with a visitor to the area who was contagious, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a news release.
The person was visiting from another state, and so far there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox in Wisconsin, the agency said. Health officials are calling the exposure "isolated" and are monitoring Oconto County residents who were exposed for signs and symptoms of the disease.
The state Department of Health Services and Oconto County health officials say they are monitoring the situation and will provide updates as new developments emerge.
What is monkeypox, and how does it spread?
Monkeypox, which originated in central Africa, spreads mostly through close skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or animal. After incubating for one to two weeks, monkeypox initially causes fever, muscle aches and chills, with a rash and blisters on the skin developing within one to three days. The disease can last from two to four weeks.
Many cases are mild, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but immunocompromised and pregnant people, as well as children, are more vulnerable to severe disease. In Africa, the fatality rate is around 10%.
The Wisconsin health department emphasized in a news release Friday that "risk of widespread transmission of monkeypox to the public is low. Monkeypox does not spread easily from person to person."
The disease can be treated with the monkeypox vaccine, but otherwise, it's mostly treated with rest, food and fluids.
In 2003, Wisconsin was the epicenter of a Midwest monkeypox outbreak. Currently, there are 44 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States and over 1,000 cases worldwide in around 30 countries, according to the CDC.
More: A passion for agriculture: Oconto man honored for Farm to School educational efforts
Contact Rebecca Loroff at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Wisconsin health officials monitoring Oconto County monkeypox exposure
