First monkeypox case reported in Florida
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently sent a warning to doctors and health departments just so they can be on the lookout for patients who show signs of monkeypox, but health officials also add that it is a rare virus and the risk of catching it remains low for now.Florida health officials are looking into a possible monkeypox case, making it the third possible case of the virus in the U.S.There are more than 190 confirmed or suspected infections reported in at least 16 countries where officials say it’s not normally found.Related: What is monkeypox? The reported case in Florida is in Broward County, but the health department says it’s related to international travel. Officials say they are looking at whether that person exposed anyone else to the virus. Monkeypox starts in animals, especially primates, but can jump to people. Fortunately, experts say the virus is fairly hard to pass on to others and you have to have prolonged contact with someone. Doctors say the early symptoms are like the flu: fever and chills, but then a rash can start on the face, and move all over the body.The rash can move across your palms, your soles, as well as sometimes inside your mouth. These rashes sometimes can be painful as well.”Most people do recover from monkeypox without any issues at all, sometimes it takes two to four weeks to get full recovery of it,” Dr. Rajiv Bahl in Orlando said. Researchers first found monkeypox back in the 1950s and say it’s related to smallpox, so they believe that people who have been vaccinated against smallpox should also have protection against monkeypox.”It’s something that we shouldn’t be freaked out at yet by any means,” Bahl said. “This is not going to be like COVID-19 at this point.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently sent a warning to doctors and health departments just so they can be on the lookout for patients who show signs of monkeypox, but health officials also add that it is a rare virus and the risk of catching it remains low for now.
Florida health officials are looking into a possible monkeypox case, making it the third possible case of the virus in the U.S.
There are more than 190 confirmed or suspected infections reported in at least 16 countries where officials say it’s not normally found.
Related: What is monkeypox?
The reported case in Florida is in Broward County, but the health department says it’s related to international travel. Officials say they are looking at whether that person exposed anyone else to the virus.
Monkeypox starts in animals, especially primates, but can jump to people. Fortunately, experts say the virus is fairly hard to pass on to others and you have to have prolonged contact with someone.
Doctors say the early symptoms are like the flu: fever and chills, but then a rash can start on the face, and move all over the body.
The rash can move across your palms, your soles, as well as sometimes inside your mouth. These rashes sometimes can be painful as well.
“Most people do recover from monkeypox without any issues at all, sometimes it takes two to four weeks to get full recovery of it,” Dr. Rajiv Bahl in Orlando said.
Researchers first found monkeypox back in the 1950s and say it’s related to smallpox, so they believe that people who have been vaccinated against smallpox should also have protection against monkeypox.
“It’s something that we shouldn’t be freaked out at yet by any means,” Bahl said. “This is not going to be like COVID-19 at this point.”
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