1st Case Of Monkeypox In Tampa Bay Confirmed In Pinellas County

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The Florida Department of Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox in Tampa Bay.

According to the DOH, the case is in Pinellas County, although the DOH what area of Pinellas County it occurred in.

During a news conference Friday, Dr. Ulyee Choe, director of the DOH in Pinellas County, said the case was reported on Thursday and the person is at home recovering.

This brings the number of confirmed cases in Florida to 22, including Broward, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Seminole counties.

Nationwide, 173 cases have been confirmed. Recently there has been an increase in human monkeypox infections in different parts of the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The DOH said monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus that occurs mostly in central and western Africa, but can show up in other parts of the world.

The monkeypox virus can be transmitted from animals to humans, especially African rodents and monkeys.

Once a person becomes infected with the monkeypox virus, he or she can pass it to other people, although it is not considered a very contagious disease and the risk of contracting it is generally low.

Monkeypox typically begins with flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, headache, tiredness, muscle aches) and swelling of the lymph nodes. It progresses to a rash on the face and body. The illness usually lasts two to four weeks.

Human-to-human transmission generally requires prolonged face-to-face contact with someone with an active rash, or indirect contact with contaminated items of someone with a rash, such as clothing.

It can be treated with a vaccine.

Click here to see where monkeypox cases have been confirmed in Florida.