First MI Monkeypox Case Detected In Oakland County: Health Officials

MICHIGAN — State health officials identified Michigan's first probable Monkeypox case in an Oakland County resident, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced late Wednesday.

The infected person showed signs of rashes, which is one of many Monkeypox symptoms and is self-isolating and does not pose a risk to the public, state health officials said.

Officials also said they were working with local health departments to notify any close contacts.

"Monkeypox is a viral illness that spreads primarily through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, bodily fluids or prolonged face-to-face contact," Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said. "It is important to remember that the risk to the general public is low."

Monkeypox spreads if someone comes in contact with the rash or body fluids of an infected person and through sexual intercourse. Early data from the nationwide outbreak shows that men who have sex with men make up a high number of initial cases, state health officials said.

Monkeypox is contagious when a rash is present and up until scabs have fallen off. Symptoms typically appear one to two weeks after exposure and infection, and the rash often lasts two to four weeks, state health officials said.

The Monkeypox infection may begin with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes that progresses to a rash on the face and body. Other symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and backache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion
• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.

The CDC said 5,115 cases have been confirmed in 51 countries, including the United States, since the beginning of the current global outbreak. There have been 306 confirmed cases in 27 states and D.C.

There is a vaccine for Monkeypox and over 99% of people who have been infected with Monkeypox have survived the virus.