The first case of Monkeypox virus has now been confirmed in Orange County. The county”™s Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman reported July 21 that there is an active case but did not release details.
“Orange County has demonstrated our ability to respond to the spread of communicable disease in the past,” Gelman said. “We continue to be in contact with the State Department of Health to ensure we have the resources necessary to protect our residents.”
In Westchester, the number of confirmed cases rose to 18 as of July 20. One case was reported in Sullivan County on June 7 and was the first case to be identified in New York state outside of New York City. There were a total of 756 confirmed cases in New York state with 711 cases in New York City as of July 20.
Monkeypox is a viral infection that is extremely rare, which often does not cause serious illness; however, it can lead to hospitalization and death, especially if left untreated. Infections spread through close physical contact between individuals or between individuals and contaminated objects, and typically last about two to four weeks.
Nationwide as of July 19 there were 2,108 Monkeypox cases confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
