The first probable case of monkeypox has been reported in Kentucky, public officials announced Friday.
The patient is a Jefferson County resident, but no more information was released due to privacy concerns. Initial testing was done at the Kentucky Department for Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s results are pending. But based on the initial positive test and preliminary case investigation, state health officials said it is a probable monkeypox infection.
The patient remains isolated, and health officials said they are working to identify anyone the patient may have had close contact with while infectious.
“Identifying the first case of monkeypox in Kentucky is concerning but not surprising,” said State Public Health Commissioner Steven Stack. “Fortunately, the risk to the general public remains low. We continue to work closely with CDC and our local health department and healthcare partners to contain the spread of this virus.”
As of June 23, the CDC reports that 173 monkeypox cases have been identified in 24 U.S. states. More information about monkeypox can be found here.
Monkeypox typically begins with flu-like illness, according to the CDC, including fever and swelling of the lymph nodes about five to 21 days after exposure, followed by a rash or lesions one to three days later.
The rash or lesions typically begin on the face and are painful, according to the CDC, and the illness usually lasts between two and four weeks. People are considered infectious from the time that symptoms start until all scabs from the rash have fallen off and the skin is healed.