1st potential monkeypox case reported in DC

WASHINGTON - D.C. health officials have reported the first case of potential monkeypox in the District.

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On June 4, the D.C. Public Health Lab confirmed the first positive orthopox case in a District resident. The resident reported they had recently traveled to Europe.

Samples were collected and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing.

Monkeypox is in the orthopox family of viruses.

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Officials say the patient is isolating at this time and does not pose a risk to the public.

Health officials are identifying and monitoring close contacts, they say. At this time no additional cases have been identified in D.C.

Rare but potentially serious, monkeypox is a viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with body fluid or lesions.

Transmission can also occur through respiratory droplets from prolonged face-to-face contact and from contaminated materials such as bedding or clothing – although it is much less common.

Symptoms of monkeypox include a headache, muscle aches, fever or flu like symptoms followed by a rash and lesions.

Anyone experiencing monkeypox symptoms is urged to contact their healthcare provider and seek medical attention.

 A Maryland resident who recently returned from Nigeria has been diagnosed with the virus monkeypox, according to state health officials.

Health officials say genetic analysis of recent monkeypox cases suggests there are two distinct strains in the U.S. raising the possibility that the virus has been circulating undetected for some time.