CHICAGO (WAND) – The first presumptive case of monkeypox has been reported in Illinois.
The Chicago Department of Public Health and Illinois Department of Public Health, announced a single presumptive case in a Chicago man with recent travel history to Europe.
Initial testing was completed Wednesday, June 1, at an IDPH laboratory, and confirmatory testing for monkeypox is pending at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Based on initial epidemiologic characteristics and the positive orthopoxvirus result at IDPH, health officials consider this a probable monkeypox infection.
CDPH and IDPH are working closely with the CDC and the patient’s health care providers to identify anyone he came in contact with while he was infectious.
The person did not require hospitalization and is isolating at home in good condition. To protect patient confidentiality, no further details relating to the patient will be released.
The case remains isolated and at this time there is no indication there is a great risk of extensive local spread of the virus, as monkeypox does not spread as easily as the COVID-19 virus, health officials said.
Person to person transmission is possible through close physical contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact.
Monkeypox is a rare, but potentially serious viral illness, and typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a rash on the face and body.
Most infections last 2 to 4 weeks.
Monkeypox is typically endemic to parts of central and west Africa, and people can be exposed through bites or scratches from rodents and small mammals, preparing wild game, or having contact with an infected animal or possibly animal products.
Starting this year, multiple cases of monkeypox have been reported in several countries that do not normally report monkeypox, including the United States.
As of June 2, 2022, the CDC reports 19 confirmed cases of orthopox/monkeypox across multiple states including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.