Monkeypox is a viral infection, but unlike COVID-19, the risk to Ohioans is low.
“Monkeypox does not spread easily between people,” Vanderhoff said during a Monday afternoon virtual media briefing. “This is a disease that requires very close, generally very intimate contact between people.”
The CDC is tracking multiple cases of monkeypox in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the U.S.
There are 65 confirmed cases to date across the nation, including 15 in California and 11 in New York.
The virus typically begins with flulike symptoms or lymph node swelling that progresses to a rash that may look like pimples or blisters. However, some of the recent cases in the U.S. only involved a rash, Vanderhoff said.
“It is important to note that anyone can get monkeypox even though most cases associated with the investigation in the U.S. have involved men who have sex with men,” he said.
No further information would be released to protect the privacy of the patient in Ohio, who is in isolation, Vanderhoff said.
“The Ohio Department of Health is working very closely with the CDC, relevant local public health authorities and the affected patient’s health care providers to ensure appropriate care for the patient,” he said.
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