First positive monkeypox case confirmed in Cabarrus County

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — State officials confirmed Friday the first case of monkeypox in a Cabarrus County resident.

The case was reported to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The patient is isolated and is not being hospitalized, said Cabarrus County health officials.

“We believe that the risk to residents from this initial case is low, but we know it is likely that we will experience more cases,” said Dr. Bonnie Coyle, Cabarrus Health Alliance, health director, in a news release. “We are asking that residents be aware and if they have unexplained rash, sores or other symptoms, they see their healthcare provider. If they do not have a health care provider or health insurance, please contact our agency.”

County health officials said, “Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious, viral illness that typically involves flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash that starts flat then becomes bumpy and fluid-filled before scabbing over and resolving. Illness could be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or with varicella zoster virus (chickenpox). Most infections last two to four weeks.”

Since May 2022, there have been 20,804 monkeypox cases that have been identified outside of countries that have historically reported monkeypox, with 4,906 cases identified in the United States and 46 in North Carolina.

CHA will provide updates through its website: www.cabarrushealth.org.

To learn more about Monkeypox visit: https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/diseases/monkeypoxFAQs.html

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