First probable case of monkeypox reported in suburban Cook County
7 confirmed monkeypox cases in Chicago
The Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed Monday there are seven cases of monkeypox in the city, as health officials work to identify other potential cases.
CHICAGO - Cook County health officials said Saturday that they have detected the suburban area's first probable case of monkeypox.
The person with monkeypox lives in suburban Cook County. No other information about the person was released.
Cook County said that they are working to identify the person's close contacts, noting though that monkeypox does not spread easily between people.
The first symptoms of monkeypox are usually flu-like. The symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus
Most monkeypox infections last two to four weeks and resolve. Some cases, however, can be serious.
Cook County health officials said in a press release that "while many of the cases currently appearing are within networks of self-identified gay and bisexual men, trans people, and men who have sex with men, people of any sexual orientation or gender identity can become infected and spread monkeypox."