The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced on May 19 that it is investigating a possible case of Monkeypox in New York City.
The patient is being cared for at NYC Health + Hospitals / Bellevue on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. “All the appropriate isolation protocols are being followed. The Health Department’s Public Health Lab will conduct preliminary tests, which — if positive — will be sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory testing,” said a statement issued by the health department.
“The Department’s epidemiologists will follow up with any individual who may have been in contact with the patient while infectious,” the statement added.
Monkeypox is uncommon in the U.S., but — in the rare circumstance where a positive case is identified — usually presents as a flu-like illness accompanied by swelling of the lymph nodes and followed by a rash on the face and body. According to the Center for Disease Conntrol, transmission of monkeypox virus occurs when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus. The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth).
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