RALEIGH, N.C. — Health officials in Wake County have confirmed cases of monkeypox in two women, the first cases in females in North Carolina.
“While this global outbreak appears to mostly affect men who have sex with other men, monkeypox is a public health concern for all of us,” said Rebecca Kaufman, director of Wake County Preventative Health. “Although there is a low level of risk from just being in the same area as someone who has monkeypox, it is always important to clean surfaces, wear a mask when needed and wash hands frequently.”
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According to health officials, monkeypox is transmitted person-to-person through direct skin-to-skin contact, through having contact with an infectious rash, through body fluids or through respiratory secretions.
As of Aug. 25, there have been 31 cases of the virus in Wake County.
Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal, health officials said. The symptoms can include a fever and sores that can spread all over the body.
Earlier in August, the United States declared monkeypox a public health emergency to help build the federal response.
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