Health officials confirm Camden County’s first case of monkeypox; state total rises to at least 7

Camden County health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the county's first case of monkeypox, bringing the state total to at least seven.

News 12 Staff

Jul 6, 2022, 9:15 AM

Updated 861 days ago

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Camden County health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the county's first case of monkeypox, bringing the state total to at least seven.
The county Health Department says the person was traveling out of state and is now isolating at home. Those identified as close contacts were notified and are currently receiving treatment and vaccines.
"I anticipate that we're going to see more cases,” says Dr. Henry Redel, chief of infectious disease at Saint Peter's University Hospital. “I don't anticipate it is going to be as dramatic increase as we saw with the coronavirus."
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle ache, chills and a pimple or blister-like rash.
"It's just another thing to worry about,” says Vania Khan, of Edison. “I really haven't heard about it and now that I know about it, I feel it's kind of scary."
Monkeypox is spread through direct contact with the infectious rash, respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact, touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids or pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.
A vaccine can be used for high-risk contacts of an infected person and an antiviral treatment is available for patients with monkeypox.
So far, there have been no deaths connected to monkeypox in the U.S.