Wake County has its 1st confirmed case of monkeypox. What you need to know.
Wake County has confirmed its first case of monkeypox.
It’s the third confirmed case of the virus in North Carolina.
“Monkeypox cases continue to rise across the country, so it is not a surprise that it has now been detected in Wake County,” said Dr. Nicole Mushonga, Wake County associate physician director and Epidemiology Program director, in the news release.
“Fortunately, unlike COVID-19, there’s already a vaccine approved to help curtail this virus in the early stages of this outbreak,” she continued. “We encourage all residents to know the symptoms and be aware of the risk factors for monkeypox.”
The patient is isolating at home and Wake County staff members are working on contact tracing, according to a Wednesday news release. No other information about the patient was released.
There have been 560 confirmed monkeypox cases in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Monkeypox is a rare viral illness that often has flu-like symptoms, according to Wake County.
Symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- A rash that can look like pimples or blisters. This can appear on the face, inside the mouth or on other parts of the body.
The illness can be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or with the chickenpox virus, according to the news release.
Most infections last two to four weeks.
There are two vaccines available to prevent monkeypox infection. Wake County is working with the state to get the vaccine in the coming days, according to the news release. According to the CDC, when properly given before or after a recent exposure, the vaccines help protect people from illness.
Residents who have been exposed to someone who has had monkeypox or think they qualify for the vaccine can call the county’s communicable disease phone number at 919-250-4462 for screening and scheduling.
This is a breaking news story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published July 6, 2022 at 5:29 PM.
