KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first probable case of monkeypox in Jackson County, Missouri, was found in an eastern Jackson County resident, the county health department announced Wednesday.
Based on the resident's symptoms and initial testing results, the Jackson County Health Department determined the individual has a probable monkeypox case, health department director Bridgette Shaffer said. The department has identified and notified those who may have been in contact with the patient. The potential contacts were offered a post-exposure vaccination.
The official test results confirming the monkeypox case at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pending.
Symptoms of monkeypox include flu-like symptoms, including fever, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion, as well as an unexplained rash on the face, palms, arms, legs, genitals and perianal region, the health department says. Officials urge anyone experiencing these symptoms to contact their health provider as soon as possible.
While the majority of adult monkeypox patients recover in two to four weeks, it can have more serious affects on children and those who are immunocompromised or pregnant.
“Monkeypox is less contagious than COVID-19 but can affect anyone,” Shaffer said in a statement. “It does not just affect one community or group.”
Anyone who has come in contact with monkeypox should call the Jackson County Health Department at 816-404-9898 to receive a post-exposure vaccination if eligible.
The first probable case of monkeypox in Missouri was identified in June.
Additional information on monkeypox can be found below:
