Washington D.C. has reported its first case of what could be Monkeypox, District health officials confirmed over the weekend.
The D.C. Public Health Lab said in a press release Sunday that a Beltway resident who recently traveled to Europe had tested positive for orthopoxvirus, a genus of viruses that encompasses smallpox, cowpox, horsepox, camelpox, and monkeypox. The statement added that the lab had sent collected samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm if the patient contracted monkeypox specifically.
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“The patient is currently isolating and does not pose a risk to the public. DC Health is identifying and monitoring close contacts. However, at this time no additional cases have been identified in the districts,” the release said.
Monkeypox is rare and is seldom seen outside of central and west Africa, where it is endemic. The first symptoms to come on include fever, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes, turning into visible rashes and lesions that spread from the head to other parts of the body.
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Nearly 100 cases have been detected in 12 countries, including the U.S., the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, France, Canada, and Australia since early May. The CDC has identified 24 monkeypox cases in the U.S.
“Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with body fluid or monkeypox lesions,” D.C. Health explained. “Less commonly, transmission can occur through respiratory droplets from prolonged face-to-face contact and from contaminated materials such as bedding or clothing.”
