10 Monkeypox Cases In Illinois: IDPH

ILLINOIS — The Illinois Department of Public Health is now reporting 10 monkeypox cases statewide and said it is working to investigate suspected cases with the CDC and local health departments.

Of those 10 cases, eight have been confirmed by the CDC, including nine in Chicago and one in DuPage County.

IDPH staff are working with the Chicago Department of Public Health, the DuPage County Health Department and healthcare providers to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patients while they were infectious.

Monkeypox, which is normally contained in areas of central and West Africa, is a rare, potentially serious viral illness that usually begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes before progressing to the rest of the body in a rash, or "pox," health officials said.

Nationwide, the CDC is reporting 84 monkeypox cases. Most patients have reported only mild symptoms.

Illinois has seen monkeypox before

In 2003, Illinois was at the center of another monkeypox outbreak, with the first-ever reported human cases in the country.

Thirteen total cases were reported in June 2003, including four confirmed cases in DuPage County and one possible case in Will County, were investigated by state health officials.

The 2003 cases in Illinois were spread to people through prairie dogs that were sold in Villa Park, where many exotic animals, including rodents from West Africa, were being housed together, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported in 2003. No human deaths were reported as part of the outbreak of the rare disease.

Symptoms of monkeypox

In humans, the signs and symptoms of monkeypox are similar to smallpox, but usually milder. About 12 days after people are infected with the virus, humans infected with the disease could get a fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, and a general feeling of discomfort and exhaustion, health officials said.

Within one to three days after the development of a fever, they will get a rash. The rash typically develops into raised bumps filled with fluid. It often starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, but can originate in other areas of the body

The CDC is tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported within recent weeks in the U.S. and many countries that don’t normally report monkeypox. These cases include individuals who self-identify as men who have sex with men. CDC is urging healthcare providers in the U.S. to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox, regardless of whether they have travel or specific risk factors for monkeypox.

Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox. Monkeypox virus can also spread between people through respiratory droplets, typically in a close setting, such as the same household or a healthcare setting. Common household disinfectants can kill the monkeypox virus.

Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a rash on the face and body. Most infections last two to four weeks.

The virus does not spread easily between people; transmission can occur through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact.