Ohio Health Department Identifies Probable Monkeypox Case, No Cases Reported In Michigan

(CBS DETROIT) -- The Ohio Department of Health announced a probable case of monkeypox infection in the state.

According to a press release, the probable case in the male resident is based on preliminary testing at the department's laboratory. Confirmatory testing at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pending.

The individual remains isolated and is following recommendations from public health officials and medical providers.

According to the CDC, no cases of monkeypox have been identified in Michigan as of Monday.

"What I want to emphasize strongly is that monkeypox does not spread easily between people, and so the risk to Ohioans generally is very low," said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health.

Vanderhoff said monkeypox spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids.

Officials say monkeypox can spread through sex, as well as kissing, cuddling, or touch of the body with moneybox sores, and respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact.

Monkeypox is a rare disease and the first case in a human was reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, the disease has been reported in people in several central and western African countries, as well as places outside of Africa.

It has been linked to international travel or imported animals in United States as well as Israel, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

More than 60 cases have been identified in the United States.

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