MADison, Wis. (WMTV) — Wisconsin health officials have detected a second case of monkeypox amid the most recent wave of cases rising across the country.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Monday that the orthopoxvirus, thought to be monkeypox, was found in a Milwaukee County resident. Officials noted that this person is in isolation and they are working to identify any possible close contacts.
DHS Secretary-Designation Karen Timberlake said her agency is working closely with state and federal partners to monitor monkeypox and assured that its overall risk to the public is low.
“Current evidence from across the country suggests that the virus is mostly spread through close, close contact with someone who has monkeypox,” Timberlake said. “We urge all Wisconsinians to be vigilant and contact a doctor if you develop a new or unexplained rash.”
The first case of monkeypox in Wisconsin related to the most recent outbreak was identified on July 1. As of Friday, July 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 767 cases of monkeypox and orthopoxvirus in the US.
According to the DHS, monkeypox is rare, but can be serious. People who have contracted the virus are most likely to see new, unexplained rashes. They may also contract a fever, experience chills or swollen lymph nodes.
Most of them will recover in two to four weeks without treatment.
In 2003, another outbreak of monkeypox swept through Wisconsin and the nation. DHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Vestergaard noted that the outbreak was linked to people who had been exposed to wild or exotic animals, especially prairie dogs, in Wisconsin.
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