LOCKPORT, N.Y. — The Niagara County Department of Health says it was notified by the state's lab that the county had its first positive case of Monkeypox.
Monkeypox is a viral infection that does not usually cause serious illness, but in rare instances, it could result in hospitalization or death, according to the Niagara County Department of Health.
The health department interviewed the person and concluded that no additional contacts exist.
People currently reporting cases generally report close, sustained physical contact with another person who has monkeypox. It can be transmitted by respiratory droplets or prolonged face-to-face contact or with contaminated matter such as clothing or bed sheets.
“Monkeypox is primarily spread by close contact and exposure to an infected person’s skin lesions, other bodily fluids, or respiratory droplets,” said Adrienne Kasbaum, Niagara County Department of Health Director of Nursing.
“Anyone in close skin-to-skin contact with someone who has monkeypox can get the illness, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Anyone who develops a new, unexplained rash on any part of the body should seek medical attention immediately and avoid contact with others. Unlike respiratory viruses that spread through exposure to infected respiratory aerosols or droplets, the general public is not at risk of exposure through usual everyday activities."
The incubation period for Monkeypox is one to three weeks after exposure and can last two to four weeks. Symptoms of the virus include fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. A rash could also develop one to three days after the onset of illness, and look like pimples or blisters that can appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body.
For more information:
Niagara County Department of Health, Monkeypox: https://www.niagaracounty.com/Portals/4/Docs/Monkeypox/Monkeypox.pdf
New York State Department of Health, Monkeypox: https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/monkeypox/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Monkeypox: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/
