CDC confirmed the suspected case of orthopoxvirus detected in the Peach State is the virus.
ATLANTA — Georgia officially has its first case of monkeypox.
The Georgia Department of Public Health said it received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that last week’s orthopoxvirus case is indeed monkeypox.
CDC leaders reported the suspected case of the virus last Wednesday. The Atlanta-based federal public health agency reported an orthopoxvirus diagnosis in a metro Atlanta man. Georgia DPH health officials said he is still monitoring his symptoms in isolation as they continue contact tracing. CDC data shows that this is the only confirmed case of the virus in Georgia.
It is unknown how the man contracted the virus or where.
Monkeypox was first reported in the United States in Massachusetts last month. That man had recently traveled internationally, health officials there said.
So far, Florida is the only other southern state to report cases of the illness. Other states, such as Virginia and New York, have also reported cases, CDC data shows.
Symptoms of the illness include a blister rash. The CDC also lists fever, chills and fatigue as known symptoms, with people reporting muscle aches and headaches.
Those who contract the virus typically have symptoms for two to four weeks, according to the WHO. Global health leaders said that severe monkeypox cases happen in children “and are related to the extent of virus exposure, patient health status, and complications.”
There is currently no treatment to prevent or cure the virus, but some patients are treated with the smallpox vaccine or antivirals, according to the CDC.
No deaths have been reported in the outbreak beyond Africa.
