State launches monkeypox tracking site

SANDUSKY — State health officials have launched a new online dashboard to track cases of monkeypox in Ohio. The dashboard, located at odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/mpx/monkeypox-dashboard, is being updated every Thursday. As of last Thursday, there were 147 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Ohio across 19 counties, with one confirmed case in Erie County. Erie County's epidemiologist, Taylor Kula, was not available for comment Monday. Most cases are reported in the Columbus and Cleveland metropolitan areas, with 33 cases in Franklin County and 69 cases in Cuyahoga County. Most of the cases, 96%, have been men. The state's first case was reported on June 13. No cases have been reported yet in Ottawa, Sandusky or Huron counties. The CDC said Monday on its website that there have been 17,432 cases of monkeypox in the U.S. so far, with no deaths, and 47,652 cases around the world. At this time, data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up the majority of cases in the current monkeypox outbreak," the CDC says on its monkeypox page. "However, anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who has been in close, personal contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk." The CDC describes the disease as "sexually transmissible." "In other words, sex is just one of the ways that monkeypox can be spread. In the past, monkeypox outbreaks have been linked to direct exposure to infected animals and animal products, with limited person-to-person spread. In the current monkeypox outbreak, the virus is spreading primarily through close personal contact.," the CDC says in a frequently asked questions document. "This may include contact with infectious lesions or respiratory secretions via close, sustained skin-to-skin contact that occurs during sex. However, any close, sustained skin-to-skin contact with someone who has monkeypox can spread the virus. The contact does not have to be exclusively intimate or sexual," it says. Here are some other facts about monkeypox from the CDC: • Rashes that can look like pimples or blisters are a very common symptom. Other common symptoms are tiredness or not feeling well, fever, chills, headache, swollen glands, muscle aches and itching. • Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox, as the monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox is less severe than smallpox, however, and seldom fatal. If you are sick, you should remain isolated until they end. • People who think they have monkeypox or who have come into close personal contact with someone who has monkeypox should visit a healthcare providers to find out about testing. • Vaccines are available for people at high risk of getting monkeypox.