BARRY COUNTY — The first case of monkeypox virus in Barry County has been identified.
The Barry-Eaton District Health Department says they were notified of the first case of monkeypox virus in a Barry County resident by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The health department says the individual is isolated and does not pose a risk to the public. The health department also says all close contacts to the individual have been notified.
According to the health department, monkeypox virus is a viral illness that spreads primarily through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, bodily fluids, or prolonged face-to-face contact.
Symptoms of monkeypox virus include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus
A person with monkeypox virus is contagious from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services website, there have been 279 cases of monkeypox in the state so far.
