State health officials have confirmed Pittsburgh’s first case of monkeypox.
According to Central Outreach Wellness Center on the North Side, a patient of the practice on Tuesday received confirmation of a positive test from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The Pittsburgh case brings the statewide total to five.
Information about the patient’s age or gender was not disclosed Wednesday. In a statement confirming the case, Central Outreach said it stands ready to treat and prevent the spread of monkeypox.
“Central Outreach North Shore has access to the treatment and vaccine for monkeypox for anyone who has contracted the virus or had exposure to the virus,” the center said.
Symptoms of monkeypox can include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes and a blistery rash. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks.
Unlike COVID-19, monkeypox is not a new virus and is not as transmissible. Thousands of people contract monkeypox every year after close contact with infected people or animals. The survival rate is more than 90% even in areas with poor access to health care, according to the World Health Organization.
Still, the Biden administration announced this week an "enhanced nationwide vaccination strategy" to curb the spread of monkeypox. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will make nearly 300,000 doses of vaccine available in the coming weeks, with 56,000 to be made available immediately, according to NPR.
More than 300 people have contracted monkeypox in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been no reported U.S. deaths from monkeypox during the recent outbreak.
