New Jersey’s first suspected case of monkeypox could be located right here in Jersey City. The NJ Dept. of Health recently tweeted that it’s working with the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention to confirm the presence of monkeypox in a person who lives in Jersey City.
The person has been confirmed to have the orthopoxvirus and now the CDC will confirm if they have monkeypox, which is one of the viruses associated with the orthopoxvirus genus.
According to the NJ Dept. of Health, monkeypox can affect anyone, but cases are most often found in Africa. The virus can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body.
Monkeypox has been identified in 20 states as well as Washington, D.C. Health officials say it can spread through close or prolonged contact with an affected person or animal. The World Health Organization (WHO) says people with monkeypox could be infectious for up to four weeks and advises them to isolate until they have recovered.
The smallpox-related disease is commonly found in parts of central and west Africa. However, this year 1,880 infections have been reported in more than 30 countries. The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
