'Probable' Monkeypox Case Reported In DuPage County

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — A man has been diagnosed with the first "probable" case of the monkeypox virus reported in DuPage County in 2022, per an announcement from DuPage County Health Department (DCHD). This marks the third case of monkeypox in Illinois, according to multiple reports.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said the patient was determined to be a probable case of monkeypox after initial testing was completed at an IDPH laboratory on June 10. The case was labeled "probable" "based on initial epidemiologic characteristics and the positive orthopoxvirus result," IDPH determined.

Officials from DCHD have partnered with IDPH and the CDC to determine who the patient came into contact with while potentially contagious. The patient had recently traveled internationally, officials said.

As of June 13, DCHD reports that the case is "isolated" and "there is no indication there is a great risk of extensive local spread of the virus," the announcement explained.

In early June, IDPH announced that a Chicago man was determined to have the first probable case of monkeypox in Illinois. A second probable case of monkeypox was detected in Chicago shortly after.

Monkeypox was first detected in Illinois 19 years ago. During the 2003 outbreak, 13 monkeypox cases were reported in Illinois, with four cases having been confirmed in DuPage County and one case that was unconfirmed in Will County. The first monkeypox cases in Illinois came from prairie dogs sold by an exotic animals dealer in Villa Park, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Symptoms of monkeypox include:

• Flu-like symptoms
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Rash on face and body

The virus is spread when someone comes into contact with a person or animal who has been infected with monkeypox, per the CDC. Monkeypox can be transmitted if you have contact with sores or bodily fluids from a person with the virus.

As of June 13, no additional details were available about the probable monkey pox case in DuPage County. There had been 49 probable cases of monkeypox throughout the United States in 2022, the CDC reported on June 10.