The Orange County Health Department has received its first reported case of monkeypox in the community.

In a release Wednesday afternoon, the county heath department said its communicable disease team is in direct communication with the case. Per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the person has been referred to isolate. The department is also reaching out to the case’s contacts to notify them and provide guidance.

“We have been preparing for a case of monkeypox and now that it is here, we want our community to be aware of this disease so that those at risk can seek medical care and get tested promptly if they have symptoms,” said Orange County Health Director Quintana Stewart.

To protect patient privacy, Orange County Health said no additional information about the individual will be shared at this time.

The local case of the virus comes as nearly 13,000 cases of monkeypox have been identified in the United States. As of Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control reports 188 cases identified in North Carolina.

“OCHD continues to work closely with state and national partners to monitor the current national outbreak and respond within Orange County,” the county health department’s release read.

The monkeypox virus is reported to spread through infected body fluids, items that have been in contact with infected fluids or lesion crusts, and respiratory droplets. Symptoms include rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.

If any Orange County resident has been in contact with a confirmed case of monkeypox or are experiencing symptoms, the department recommends contacting your primary care provider or the department itself.

Vaccines through the Orange County Health Department are available to those who have had close contact with a case, or gay and bisexual men or transgender individuals who report any of the following in the last 90 days:

  • A medical history that includes testing or concern for sexually transmitted infection
  • Proactively engaged in HIV prevention, including a prescription for PrEP
  • Having multiple possible exposures through sex

Responses to frequently asked questions about the virus can be found on the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ website. More monkeypox vaccine resources can be found here.

Featured image via National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/Associated Press

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