Monkeypox advisory issued by Cape Girardeau County

Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center this week issued an informational statement about the monkeypox virus, so named because it was first identified in laboratory monkeys.

"There are currently no cases in Cape Girardeau County or in the state of Missouri," said a Wednesday release, noting monkeypox is a rare disease discovered initially in 1958 in central and west Africa, resulting in fever, headache, backache, muscle aches, chills, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion.

"Risk among (county) residents at this time is low," the statement continued.

County health officials are advising residents to contact their health care provider if experiencing monkeypox symptoms or if exposed to an individual who has been confirmed as infected.

A citizen who attended Tuesday's monthly meeting of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Board of Trustees at Shawnee Park Center in Cape Girardeau asked whether monkeypox had been witnessed locally.

On Thursday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported nine confirmed monkeypox cases in seven U.S. states: Massachusetts, Florida, Utah, Washington, California, Virginia and New York.

Details from CDC

• Time from infection to development of symptoms "is usually seven to 14 days but can range from five to 21 days."
• Within one to three days after the appearance of fever, a rash develops, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.
• While similar to smallpox, the main observable difference between monkeypox and smallpox is the latter does not cause lymph node swelling.
• Monkeypox has been shown to cause death in as many as one in 10 people who have contracted the disease in Africa.