Minnesota Officials Report State’s First Case of Monkeypox

Minnesota health officials say a Twin Cities adult has contracted the state’s first presumed case of monkeypox, a disease that has emerged in more than 50 countries and 26 U.S. states.

The state public health lab identified the infection, a case which has been forwarded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.

The person identified with the disease in Minnesota is receiving outpatient treatment for the infection that likely was contracted during overseas travel, according to health officials.

Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash. Some people in the current outbreak have only reported rashes, which typically are found on the hands, feet, face or genitals.

The CDC only recommends the monkeypox vaccine in advance of exposure to health care workers and researchers who work with the virus.

The World Health Organization issued a statement Saturday which said the escalating monkeypox outbreak in more than 50 countries should be closely monitored but does not warrant being declared a global health emergency.

A WHO emergency committee said many aspects of the outbreak were “unusual” and acknowledged that monkeypox, which is endemic in some African countries, has been neglected for years.