Monkeypox in Illinois: 3rd probable case reported in DuPage County, health officials say

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill,. (WLS) -- A third probable case of monkeypox has been identified in Illinois, DuPage County Health Department officials announced Saturday.

The single case involves an adult male who travelled internationally in the past month to a country which has also reported monkeypox cases recently, DCHD said.

Initial testing was completed on June 10 at an Illinois Department of Public Health lab. Confirmatory testing is pending at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The case remains isolated and at this time there is no indication there is a great risk of extensive local spread of the virus, as monkeypox does not spread as easily as the COVID-19 virus," the DCHD said in release.

Monkeypox in Illinois: 2nd probable case reported, Chicago public health officials say

Chicago and Illinois public health officials confirmed the first probable case of monkeypox in the state on Thursday in an adult male Chicago resident who recently traveled to Europe.

RELATED: US in process of releasing monkeypox vaccine from national stockpile for 'high-risk' people: CDC

Doctors have said they do not expect a widespread outbreak.

"Even though it's not likely to be transmitted to a large number of people like COVID, the people that get it can be pretty sick," said Dr. John Segreti, an epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center.

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak beyond Africa

Doctors say monkeypox is generally spread by skin-to-skin contact, though it can also be passed through contaminated clothing or bedding. And while it can make patients very sick, it is not usually fatal.

Doctors say the smallpox vaccine generally works to protect from monkey pox, and there are also anti-viral drugs on the market to treat the virus once a patient has it.

Please note: The video at the top of this player is from a previous report

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