Illinois has seen monkeypox before, but doctors say these cases are different.This is what we know – NBC Chicago

The Illinois Public Health Department reported Thursday the state’s first possible case of monkeypox, a rare but potentially serious viral disease commonly found in western central Africa.

Health experts say that the virus, which comes from the same family as smallpox, begins with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes, and eventually progresses to facial and body rashes.

As of Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 19 confirmed cases in several states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and now Illinois. I am.

This is what we know about the first possible case of a state detected in Illinois and how it spreads.

Where in Illinois was the first case detected?

IDPH reported Thursday that the first case of the disease in Illinois was detected in a man in Chicago. People who have recently traveled to Europe.

Officials said the man was not hospitalized and was quarantined “in good condition” at home.

What does “potential case” mean?

“Based on early epidemiological features and positive results for orthopoxvirus in IDPH, health officials consider this a potential monkeypox infection,” said the health agency.

The trial was first conducted Wednesday at the Illinois Public Health Service laboratory, but the results are still pending at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, officials said.

How does it spread?

According to the Chicago Public Health Department, human-to-human transmission is “after monkeypox pain, close physical contact with fluids and pain-contaminated materials (clothes, bedding, etc.), or after prolonged faces. It is possible through respiratory droplets. ” Face-to-face contact. “

“It’s not just your casual handshake,” said McHenry of Northwestern Medicine and Dr. Irfan Hafiz, an infectious disease specialist at Huntley Hospitals. “(Contacts) need to be longer and clearer. Technically it’s not a sexually transmitted disease, but it requires close contact.”

“It takes a long time (contact), not a few minutes,” added Dr. Kavita Patel, a healthcare contributor to NBC News. “(It can also) contain fluids or lesions.”

In a live health update on Facebook last week, Chicago Public Health Director Dr. Allison Arwady said, “It’s not from monkeys. It was the first to be detected and has nothing to do with the COVID virus. It’s completely different. One of the reasons for the attention is that they belong to the same family as the smallpox virus. Smallpox is no longer there. It has been eradicated but belongs to that family. “

Has monkeypox been previously detected in Illinois?

According to Arwady, the previous monkeypox outbreak occurred in the United States in 2003.

It was discovered in Illinois at that time. “It was related to prairie dogs,” Arwady said. “There was some exposure. People got better. Usually, in normal years, we will see some animal-related cases, mainly in West Africa,” Arwady said. “There are animals that can carry it, and as you know, you’ll see dozens of cases where people can get infected just by coming into contact with animals. The reason they’re getting more attention is , Somewhere among the 100 identified cases, unrelated to the typical view of monkeypox at this point. “

Hafiz repeated the same feelings.

“This is a little different in the number of cases and the countries affected by it,” Hafiz said.

CDC said that “Cases include people who self-identify as men who have had sex with men,” but emphasized that everyone can get sick through long-term contact.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Symptoms of the virus range from generalized fever, pain, and rash.

“Suspicious cases show early flu-like symptoms and can progress to lesions. Lesions can start in one part of the body and spread to other parts,” said the Chicago Public Health Department. I am saying.

“To an amateur, it can look like chickenpox or warts,” Hafiz said. “But these (pains) tend to be in exposed areas.”

Health experts also said the disease could be confused with sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and herpes, or the varicella-zoster virus.

Federal health officials are asking US doctors to consider diagnosing monkeypox in people with a consistent rash, especially if they meet one of the following criteria:

• Contact with a person who had a monkeypox-like rash, or who was confirmed or diagnosed with possible monkeypox
• There was skin-to-skin contact with someone on a social network experiencing monkeypox activity. This includes men having sex with men who meet their partners through online websites, digital applications (apps), or social events (such as bars and parties).
• Traveled outside the United States to countries where monkeypox cases have been identified or where monkeypox activity continues
• Have been in contact with dead or live wildlife or exotic pets using products that exist only in Africa or are derived from such animals (eg, hunting meat, creams, lotions, powders, etc.)