A 41-year-old New Castle County man is the first person in Delaware to test positive for monkeypox.
The man didn't report any recent travel or exposure to someone infected with monkeypox, the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) said Tuesday. He is believed, however, to have been exposed to the virus during "close intimate contact" with a person earlier in July.
The state health department said the positive case is considered probable until confirmed testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The man is self-isolating as DPH works to identify any potential close contacts.
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“The Delaware Division of Public Health has prepared to respond to MPX cases,” DPH Interim Director Dr. Rick Hong said in a news release. “As we work to confirm our first case in the state, we encourage Delawareans to be aware of being in close intimate contact with individuals who have rashes or flu-like symptoms. We will continue to monitor this situation closely.”
Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, but its symptoms are milder. Most patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People usually recover within two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, but the disease occasionally is deadly.
People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.
Health
The CDC, as of Monday, has reported at least 866 monkeypox cases -- across at least 39 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey -- in the U.S. this year.
Monkeypox in humans dates back to 1970, but has seen an outbreak in 2022, according to the CDC.
The CDC has information about monkeypox and what to look for if you believe you may been exposed.
