First Monkeypox Case Detected In CT: DPH

CONNECTICUT — The state Department of Public Health announced the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Connecticut. The patient is a male between the ages of 40 and 49 and is a New Haven County resident.

The patient is isolating and hasn't been hospitalized. The risk to Connecticut residents is low, DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said.

“The United States is currently experiencing a monkeypox outbreak, and there will likely be additional cases in Connecticut in the weeks ahead," Juthani said in a statement.

Monkeypox can spread through close and prolonged contact with an infected person. That includes contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids and sharing clothes or other materials, Juthani said. It can also be spread by inhaling respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.

There have been about 460 confirmed cases across the U.S. Cases have been detected in more than 30 states and territories, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Monkeypox is related to the virus that causes smallpox, but not chickenpox., according to the CDC It was first discovered in 1958 in colonies of monkeys that were used for research, but the source of the disease remains unknown. The first human case was recorded in 1970 and prior to the 2022 outbreak nearly all cases outside of Africa were linked with international travel.

The disease causes a rash that looks like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, hands, feet and other body parts. It can also cause fever, headache, muscle aches, chills swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion. The symptoms are similar to smallpox, but milder. Monkeypox is rarely fatal.

Monkeypox is far less transmissible than a respiratory disease like COVID-19.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has delivered 9,000 vaccine doses as of June 28. Another 296,000 doses will be delivered in the coming week and more than 1.6 million does will be available in the coming months, according to the Biden administration. The CDC began shipping monkeypox tests to five major commercial testing laboratories in June, and capacity for testing should greatly expand during July.

DPH has raised awareness of monkeypox among higher risk populations and alerted local health departments to monitor for cases.