Second probable Illinois case of monkeypox reported in Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Public Health officials have announced a second probable case of monkeypox in the city, one day after reporting the first case of the virus in the state.

In a tweet Friday afternoon, the Chicago Department of Public Health said the second probable case was a close contact of the first case, which has since been confirmed as the first positive case of monkeypox in Illinois this year.

Further details on the second probable case were not immediately available, but the man who was the first monkeypox patient in Illinois this year did not need to go to a hospital, and is isolating at home in good condition, officials said Thursday.

Common symptoms inclued rash or unusual sores, fever, chills, head or muscle aches, or swelling of lymph nodes.

Monkeypox is spread through close contact, such as touching a patient's rash or sores; sharing bedding or towels; or kissing, coughing, or sneezing.

The viral infection is usually found in Africa, and rare cases in the U.S. and elsewhere are frequently linked to trips there. It can be spread through bites or scratches from infected animals, from preparing wild game, or from having contact with an infected animal or animal products.

The first confirmed case of Monkeypox in the U.S. this year was reported in Massachusetts last month.

As of Thursday, the CDC has confirmed 19 cases of monkeypox in the U.S. this year, including in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

The United States identified two cases of monkeypox in 2021, in Texas and Maryland, from people who'd recently gone to Nigeria.

For more about this virus, visit https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/ and https://chi.gov/monkeypox.

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