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Colorado Health Officials Await CDC Confirmation On Presumptive Monkeypox Case

(CBS4)- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Public Health has confirmed a presumptive monkeypox case and is awaiting CDC confirmation. That person, a young adult male who sought care in the Denver metro area, had recently traveled to Canada where there is an outbreak of monkeypox.

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The person is cooperating with state and local public health epidemiologists and isolating at home. Public health officials say his condition is improving and are notifying people who may have been exposed.

The CDPHE said there are no other presumptive cases of monkeypox in Colorado. They also said the risk to the public continues to be low.

According to the CDPHE, Monkeypox often begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion. Typically a rash develops within one to three days after the onset of fever, often beginning on the face and spreading to other parts of the body. In recent cases, the rash often starts in the genital or perianal area. The associated monkeypox rash can look similar to other infections like syphilis or herpes. The incubation period for monkeypox is usually seven to 14 days, but can range from less than five to 21 days. Most people recover within two to four weeks. Coloradans can help prevent the spread of monkeypox by avoiding close physical contact with individuals who have acquired monkeypox, wearing a high-quality mask if they will be spending time in close contact with someone experiencing symptoms of monkeypox, and contacting a health care provider as soon as possible if they experience symptoms.

"We want to reassure Coloradans that the risk to the public is low, but we also want them to know of the symptoms so that we can catch other cases as soon as possible," said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in a statement. "We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of the CDC, local public health agencies, and health care providers in learning about, treating, and investigating this case."

Monkeypox outbreaks are currently occurring in Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and other European countries, according to the CDC. Monkeypox is rare in the United States, but has happened in people with international travel or people who had contact with animals from areas where the disease is more common.

Two vaccines are available for the prevention of monkeypox and Colorado is requesting vaccines from the federal government.

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