Virginia's 2nd Case Of Monkeypox Came From Exposure Out Of State

VIRGINIA — A second presumed case of monkeypox was reported in Virginia in a man who lives in the northern part of the state, according to state health officials. The man was exposed to monkeypox outside of Virginia.

Multiple countries, including the United States, are currently experiencing a monkeypox outbreak. To date, most cases have occurred in persons who identify as gay or bisexual or in men who have sex with men, the Virginia Department of Health said.

Testing of the man in Northern Virginia was completed at the Virginia Department of General Services Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. Confirmatory monkeypox virus testing will be performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Virginia Department of Health said Friday.

The Northern Virginia man did not require hospitalization and was isolating at home.

Last month, a Virginia woman who recently traveled to Africa was the first person in that state to test positive for monkeypox. The woman was not infectious during travel, and she did not require hospitalization, state health officials said.

One death has been reported globally in the outbreak. As of June 23, the CDC had reported 3,504 cases of monkeypox identified in 44 countries. In the U.S., 173 cases have been reported.

“Monkeypox is a rare disease in the United States and based on the information currently available about the evolving multi-country outbreak, the risk to the public appears to be low,” state epidemiologist Lilian Peake said in a statement.

“We encourage anyone who has symptoms and potential exposure described below to consult their healthcare provider,” Peake said.

READ ALSO: Virginia's 1st Monkeypox Case Diagnosed In NoVA Woman

Monkeypox is a potentially serious viral illness, characterized by a specific type of rash. Rash lesions can begin on the genitals, perianal region or oral cavity and might be the first or only sign of illness. Related infections with sexually transmitted infections have been reported.

Some patients also have fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion or swelling of the lymph nodes before developing a rash. Symptoms generally appear six to 14 days after exposure and, for most people, clear up within two to four weeks. Person-to-person spread occurs with close contact or with direct contact with body fluids or contact with contaminated materials such as clothing or linens.

People with symptoms consistent with monkeypox should seek medical care from health care providers, especially if they are in one of the following groups.

• Those who have had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or someone who was diagnosed with monkeypox.
• Those who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, including men who have sex with men.
• Those who traveled to places or attended events where monkeypox cases have been confirmed in the month before symptoms appeared.
• Those who have had contact with a dead or live wild animal or exotic pet from Africa or used a product derived from such animals (game meat, creams, lotions, powders, etc.).

The Virginia Department of Health distributed clinician letters to medical professionals reminding them to report any suspected cases of monkeypox to their local health department as soon as possible and to implement appropriate infection prevention precautions.