The Oneida County Health Department announced today that a county resident has tested positive for monkeypox.
Lab results were received on September 23, 2022 and the patient is in isolation. Contact tracing has been conducted and all exposed contacts have been notified of the exposure. No additional information will be provided about this individual to protect privacy.
“This is one case of monkeypox and all contacts have been identified. These contacts are low risk and are being monitored for symptoms,” stated Daniel W. Gilmore, Ph.D., MPH. “There is no concern for the general public at this time.”
The OCHD is working closely with New York State Department of Health and has received a limited supply of the JYNNEOS vaccine. A vaccination clinic will be conducted Wednesday, October 5, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Oneida County Health Department Utica clinic located at 406 Elizabeth Street, Utica. Appointments are required and will be available online at ocgov.net or by calling 315-798-6400. This vaccine is in limited supply and is currently available to high-risk individuals 18 or older.
Current eligibility for the JYNNEOS vaccine per NYSDOH includes:
- Individuals with recent exposure to a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case within the past 14 days.
- Those at high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox, including gay men and members of the bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming community and other communities of men who have sex with men and who have engaged in intimate or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days areas where monkeypox is spreading.
- Individuals who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, including men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application (“app”), or social event, such as a bar or party.
- Any individual that may be at risk of future exposure to infection with monkeypox, even though they are not at high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox.
People who contract monkeypox will experience a rash. The rash generally starts out like blisters or pimples and could scab before healing. This rash is found generally near the infected person’s genitals, but can also show up on the hands, face and mouth. It can be both itchy and painful. Some experience only a rash and others also experience some or many flu- like symptoms including:
- Fever
- Chills
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Exhaustion
- Muscle aches and backache
- Headache
- Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
Symptom onset is up to three weeks after an exposure to the virus. The person infected with monkeypox could be infectious two to four weeks typically, or at least until the rash has healed and scabs have fallen off.
Monkeypox is rarely fatal, however, can be extremely painful and the rash could leave permanent scarring. Most people who contract monkeypox are better within two to four weeks. However, for those who have weakened immune systems, illness could be more severe. There are currently no treatments specific for monkeypox, but some may benefit from taking antiviral medications. If you believe you have been exposed to monkeypox or have developed symptoms consistent with monkeypox, contact your healthcare provider.
To learn more about monkeypox, visit https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/ or https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/monkeypox/.
