Health Officials: Michigan Has First Probable Monkeypox Case

Monkeypox may be in Michigan—but experts say the risk to the general public remains low.

LANSING—Michigan’s first probable case of monkeypox has been identified in suburban Detroit, health officials said Wednesday.

The case was identified in an Oakland County resident who is currently isolating and does not pose a risk to the public, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported.

Preliminary testing completed at the department’s Bureau of Laboratories returned a presumptive positive result and testing to confirm the case is underway at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency said.

State and local health officials are working to notify any close contacts of the individual, the department said.

“Monkeypox is a viral illness that spreads primarily through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, bodily fluids or prolonged face-to-face contact,′ said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the department’s chief medical executive.

“It is important to remember that the risk to the general public is low. However, Michiganders with concerns about monkeypox should see their provider to be evaluated for testing,” she said.

The CDC reports that there are 306 confirmed cases in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, but its symptoms are milder. People usually recover within two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, but the disease occasionally is deadly.