The CDC confirmed a single case of monkeypox on July 15 and is working to contact passengers on flight and those who may have come into contact with the citizen.
While monkeypox is rare, it can be potentially serious, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. The illness typically begins with flu-like symptoms along with rashes and swelling of the body.
Symptoms include fever, malaise, headache, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. In one to three days after the onset of illness, a generalized rash with a similar appearance to smallpox forms around the palms of the hands and feet, according to the CDC.
The average incubation period is five to 13 days and most infections last two to four weeks.
Monkeypox can be spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, as well as via contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores or items contaminated with fluids or sores, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Medication can be beneficial, but there is no specific treatment for the illness.
Because of mandatory mask requirements on all flights and airports, the risk of respiratory droplet transmission of monkeypox to others is low, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
For more information about monkeypox, visit the CDC’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/about.html.
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