First presumptive monkeypox case reported in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Valley News Live) - A presumptive case of monkeypox has been detected in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Health announced Monday that the infected adult lives in the Twin Cities area. Initial testing was completed on Saturday at the MDH Public Health Laboratory and confirmatory testing is being done at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. The patient was likely exposed while traveling abroad. Health officials also say the risk to the general public is considered low at this time.

As of June 24, CDC reports 201 cases of monkeypox/orthopoxvirus in 26 other U.S. states. Close contact, sustained skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, with a person with monkeypox or contact with contaminated items are important risk factors.

Symptoms of monkeypox can include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters. In this outbreak, some individuals have had a rash only and no other symptoms, and sometimes the rash consists of only a few sores.

The illness typically lasts two to four weeks and most people get better on their own without treatment. However, sometimes monkeypox can cause scars from the sores, lead to pneumonia, and in rare cases even be fatal. People who have monkeypox can spread the virus from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.

To prevent the spread of monkeypox:

Practice good hand hygiene. For example, washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Minimize skin-to-skin contact with individuals who have been exposed to the virus or to those showing a rash or skin sores.
Avoid contact with any materials, such as bedding, that has been in direct contact with someone with monkeypox.
Reach out to a health care provider if you develop symptoms, as early recognition and testing can help prevent further transmission.

More information about the virus and how to limit infection risk can be found on the Monkeypox page on the MDH website.