OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan announces its first probable case of monkeypox, and it’s here in Metro Detroit.
The state says a person living in Oakland County has likely tested positive and is in isolation.
Doctors say there is no reason to panic.
Health officials in Oakland County say the risk to the general public is still low, but there are some things we should all be aware of when it comes to monkeypox.
Local 4′s Dr. Frank McGeorge says it’s really no surprise that there is a probable case of monkeypox being reported in the state.
“More than half of the U.S. has reported at least one case, with several states reporting dozens of cases,” said McGeorge.
And right now, the CDC is testing to confirm monkeypox in a resident of Oakland County.
That person is currently isolated, and health officials say that person does not pose a threat to the public.
“The virus can spread from person to person from direct contact with infectious rash scabs or body fluids, respiratory secretions, prolonged face-to-face contact, intimate or physical contact,” said Calandra Green of the Oakland County Health Department.
Read: MDHHS reports Michigan’s first probable monkeypox case out of Oakland County
While the risk of contracting monkeypox is low, she lists symptoms the public should be looking out for.
“Fever, headache, muscle ache, backaches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and really important a rash that looks like pimples of blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth or on other parts of the body like the hands and the feet,” Green said. “In terms of treatment and vaccination, there are no treatments specifically for monkeypox.”
There is a vaccine, but right now, the CDC does not recommend mass vaccination to protect against monkeypox.
A vaccine could, however, be recommended for someone who had close contact with a positive case.
