Over the past few months, there have been reports of an atypical disease outbreak of monkeypox in Europe, the US, and other countries where the virus is not commonly found. In recent days, several states of the US have confirmed their first cases of the monkeypox infection.
West Virginia's Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) announces its first probable case of monkeypox from a Berkely County resident. However, no additional information was released to protect the patient's privacy.
West Virginia Expects More Monkeypox Cases in the Coming Weeks
The US is currently experiencing a disease outbreak as the monkeypox virus infects more than 600 people across the country based on the 2022 US Map & Case Count of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The map shows an updated version in which the first case for West Virginia has already been added.
Health officials are expecting additional monkeypox cases in West Virginia in the coming weeks as the DHHR's Office Laboratory Services is currently conducting initial testing to identify the probable cases of the non-variola orthopox.
CDC is also conducting its own confirmatory testing, while DHHR's Bureau for Public Health and Berkeley County Health Department are working together to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Dr. Ayne Amjad, Commissioner of DHHR's Bureau for Public Health said that despite detecting the first probable monkeypox case in West Virginia, the threat remains low in the state. She noted that the virus is less contagious than COVID-19 and is containable with immediate and proper care.
The US government is set to release nearly 300,000 vaccines through CDC for high-risk individuals to prevent transmission and lessen the severity of illness. Dr. Amjad pointed out that BPH has raised awareness of monkeypox among high-risk populations in the past months and has also alerted medical professionals and informed local health departments to monitor monkeypox cases.
For those concerned about a fever, swollen glands, or skin rashes, health officials advise West Virginia residents to immediately contact their medical health provider and be tested.
How Long Do Monkeypox-Infected Patients Recover?
According to World Health Organization (WHO), symptoms of monkeypox infection typically appear between six to 13 days after the first contact with an infected, symptomatic person or their belongings. Sometimes, there are cases wit can take up to 21 days.
Symptoms of the recent outbreak have been mostly mild. According to doctors, they have seen skin lesions on patients who complain about it being itchy and painful. The symptoms resolve within 14 to 21 days. People should know the symptoms of monkeypox to sight them and quickly get tested to avoid further transmission.
Monkeypox infection is a self-limiting disease, which means they can go away without treatment within two to three weeks. Some may need antibiotics and painkillers to treat other symptoms and local pain.
In the US, vaccines initially approved to prevent smallpox can now be used to prevent and lessen monkeypox infection. However, the vaccines are not widely available in Europe.
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