CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The first probable case of monkeypox has been announced in West Virginia
The state Department of Health and Human Resources said Friday the case involves a resident of Berkeley County in the Eastern Panhandle. No additional information was released.
Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, but its symptoms are milder. Most patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People usually recover within two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, but the disease occasionally is deadly.
People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.
The World Health Organization on Thursday reported a 77% weekly increase in the number of lab-confirmed monkeypox cases, to more than 6,000 worldwide, and two more deaths in parts of Africa where the virus has circulated for years.