Michigan Launches New Website To Track Monkeypox Cases

(CBS DETROIT) - There's a new website designed to help you learn more about Monkeypox.

The site shows the latest numbers, signs and symptoms, as well as ways to keep your family safe.

"So making sure that we are doing enough testing around the state to detect cases, and what that really means is we have to do outreach," said Michigan's Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian.

"We have to do outreach to our clinical partners, the physicians and other medical providers around the state, as well as to communities to raise awareness."

There are currently 23 cases in the state.

So far, 35% of the state's monkeypox cases are in Detroit.

Bagdasarian says although the virus is a concern, there's no need to panic.

"Especially if you're just engaging in sort of day-to-day public activities," she said.

"If you're going to the grocery store, if you're going out to a shopping mall, this is a low-risk type of threat."

Monkeypox, or MPV, can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, shared bedding or clothes and bodily fluids.

"What you really want to avoid doing is coming into contact with lesions that could be monkeypox," Bagdasarian said.

"Anyone who has a skin rash with open lesions, anything that looks like blisters, you don't want to have direct contact with those types of skin lesions."

Anti-viral drugs and vaccines are available for treatment.

"We are using a vaccine called Jynneous here in the state of Michigan," Bagdasarian said.

"What we're really doing is, when a case is detected in the state, we're working close with our local health departments and other partners to do contact tracing."

Click here To keep track of the state's Monkey Pox response plan.

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