(WSIL) -- The 九游体育 7 Health Department has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in southern Illinois.聽
The department was notified on September 7 of a resident who tested positive. The health department did not reveal which county the case was in.聽
According to the IDPH website and monkeypox case tracking map, there is one case of the virus in southern Illinois in Union County.
九游体育 7 is collaborating with the IDPH to complete contact tracing for the case to identify any close contacts and provide vaccines to those identified as an exposure.聽
Since March 2022 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported globally in 69 countries that do not normally report monkeypox.
鈥淢onkeypox is rare and most commonly spreads between people with close contact,鈥� stated Rhonda Andrews-Ray, S7HD Executive Director/Public Health Administrator. 鈥淭he threat of monkeypox to the general U.S population remains low.鈥�
According to the CDC, person-to-person transmission is possible through close physical contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact.
Monkeypox symptoms usually start within three weeks of exposure to the virus. You may experience all or only a few of the symptoms of monkeypox:
- 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.
People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. However, anyone in close contact with a person with monkeypox can get it and should take steps to protect themselves.
- What should you do if you have symptoms of MPV?
- See a healthcare provider if you notice a new or unexplained rash or other monkeypox symptoms.
- Remind the healthcare provider that monkeypox is circulating.
- Avoid close contact (including intimate physical contact) with others until a healthcare provider examines you.
- Avoid close contact with pets or other animals until a healthcare provider examines you.
- If you鈥檙e waiting for test results, follow the same precautions.
- If your test result is positive, stay isolated until your rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of intact skin has formed.
