Florida authorities are looking into second possible monkeypox case in Broward County
Florida authorities are looking into the state’s first two possible cases of monkeypox — both in Broward County.
The patients are isolated, and the risk of exposure remains low, the Florida Department of Health said Monday afternoon in a brief news release.
Florida Health is working with its Bureau of Epidemiology to notify close contacts and offer potential post-exposure medical care.
On Sunday, authorities reported the state’s first possible case of monkeypox after a person traveled internationally.
The county plans to be transparent and keep the public updated as new information becomes available, Broward Mayor Michael Udine said Monday in a tweet.
“Again very isolated incidents, with extremely limited transmission,” he said.
Miami-Dade monitoring monkeypox cases
Broward’s southern neighbor, Miami-Dade County, has not reported monkeypox cases but will continue “monitoring the situation,” Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a tweet.
“The bottom line: It’s not novel and exposure risk remains low,” she said.
Levine Cava encouraged residents to learn about the symptoms of monkeypox and for healthcare providers to report any suspected cases.
Monkeypox is a rare and potentially deadly disease caused by a virus with the same name, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes followed by a rash.
People who received the smallpox vaccine are more likely to be protected against monkeypox, according to Florida Health. The state agency said that human-to-human transmission generally requires prolonged and close contact, direct with bodily fluids or lesion material, or indirect contact with contaminated clothing or linens.
This story was originally published May 23, 2022 at 6:52 PM.
