By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) was notified by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that the first probable case of Monkeypox was identified in Kent County.

The patient is currently isolating and does not pose a risk to the public.The KCHD is identifying and monitoring any close contacts for symptoms and no additional cases have been identified at this time. To protect patient privacy, no further case details will be provided.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious disease that has an incubation time of one to two weeks after exposure. Symptoms of monkeypox include headache, fever, muscle aches, and exhaustion followed by a rash and lesions often beginning on the face one to three days after the onset of illness. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks. The virus is spread from person-to-person by direct contact with bodily fluids or monkeypox lesions. Less common routes of transmission include respiratory droplets from prolonged face-to-face contact or contact with contaminated materials such as clothing or bedding. The KCHD recommends anyone experiencing monkeypox symptoms to contact their healthcare provider.

There are no treatments specifically for MPV infections. However, MPV and smallpox viruses are genetically similar, which means that antiviral drugs and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox may be used to prevent and treat MPV infections. Most people don’t need a monkeypox vaccine right now. However, if you have had contact with someone who has the disease you should contact your healthcare provider.

So far, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported 767 cases of Monkeypox. there have been three other cases, besides the one in Kent County reported in Michigan, two in Oakland County and one in Detroit.

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named “monkeypox”, the source of the disease remains unknown. However, African rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) may harbor the virus and infect people.

The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970. Since then, monkeypox has been reported in people in several other central and western African countries. Prior to the 2022 outbreak, nearly all monkeypox cases in people outside of Africa were linked to international travel to countries where the disease commonly occurs, or through imported animals.