Summit County health officials confirm 1st case of monkeypox

SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - Summit County health officials announced Thursday they have their first case of monkeypox.

According to health officials, the Summit County resident contracted monkeypox out of state and has had no direct contact with anyone living in Summit County.

Health officials added the person will complete their isolation period out of state.

On Wednesday, Cleveland Department of Public Health officials announced the city has a total of 20 monkeypox cases.

Portage County health officials confirmed earlier this week they have one case of monkeypox and Lorain County health officials said they have a total of two cases.

Lake County health officials are investigating two cases of monkeypox.

Health officials said symptoms of monkeypox can include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and backache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion
• Rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.

Below are tips provided by Lorain County Public Health on how to decrease your risk:

• Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.
• Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.

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