“The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today reported a presumptive case of monkeypox virus infection in an adult in the Twin Cities area. Initial testing was completed on Saturday at the MDH Public Health Laboratory and confirmatory testing is being done at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta,” the release said.
The patient was likely exposed to the virus while traveling abroad and is receiving outpatient care, the release also said.
The MDH in coordination with local health officials is conducting contact tracing to identify individuals who may be at risk due to close contact with the patient, the press release added.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is usually transmitted to people from wild animals and is endemic in some African countries. The disease can be transferred through body fluids, respiratory droplets and other contaminated materials. The disease usually results in fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
As of June 24, more than 200 monkeypox cases have been reported in 26 other US states, the release said.
Several US doctors have appealed to the public not to panic because monkeypox is easily detectable and it is a treatable disease.