CHICAGO — A second probable case of monkeypox was found in Chicago, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday evening.
The second case was a close contact of the first positive case, which was announced Thursday, the department said in a tweet Friday.
“The risk to the general public remains low,” the department said.
The first case was found in a male Chicagoan who recently traveled to Europe and was isolating at home, the department said Thursday.
As of Friday, 22 confirmed cases have been reported nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Monkeypox is a rare virus that starts with flu-like symptoms — fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion — and swelling of the lymph nodes. Symptoms then progress to a rash on the face and body.
The virus typically spreads from close contact with an infected person through large respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids or indirect contact with contaminated clothes or linens.
The illness typically lasts two to four weeks.
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