Monkeypox in Ohio: Here's what you need to know about the virus

At least two cases of monkeypox have been identified in Ohio so far as the number of infections nationally has swelled to 200 or more.

A 48-year-old Columbus-area man was diagnosed with the virus Monday, marking the state's second case, according to Columbus Public Health. The first Ohio case was reported June 13, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Cases have also been reported in Indiana, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With 51 cases, California has reported more infections than any other state so far.

Monkeypox in Columbus: LISTEN: Interview with Dr. Joe Gastaldo on COVID, monkeypox and more

This isn't the first time Ohio has seen cases of monkeypox. Infections were reported in a 2003 outbreak across six states, according to the CDC.

In July 2021, an Ohioan was also exposed to monkeypox after flying from Lagos, Nigeria to Atlanta, Georgia. A monkeypox patient had been on the same plane as the Ohioan, the state health department said at the time.

Here's what you need to know about the current monkeypox outbreak.

What is monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a rare disease that comes from the same family of viruses as smallpox, which includes cowpox, camelpox, horsepox and others. The virus was first discovered in 1958 in colonies of research monkeys, according to the CDC.

The human first case of the virus was identified in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Most monkeypox infections today still occur there, but the disease has also been reported in several other central and western African countries, the CDC said.

How does transmission occur?

Monkeypox usually spreads to people from infected animals like rodents. Human-to-human transmission is possible but less common, according to the World Health Organization. The virus can also spread through contaminated materials.

The main disease carrier of monkeypox is still unknown, although some experts suspect African rodents play a part in transmission, the CDC said.

COVID-19: How to get a COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 in the Columbus area

In parts of central and west Africa, people can be exposed to the virus through bites or scratches from rodents and small mammals, preparing wild game, or having contact with an infected animal or animal products.

The virus doesn’t spread easily between people, although human-to-human transmission typically happens through large respiratory droplets. Those droplets typically can’t travel more than a few feet, so prolonged face-to-face contact is required to spread monkeypox, according to the CDC.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

Monkeypox typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes, the CDC said. Monkeypox symptoms are typically similar but milder than smallpox symptoms.

Early symptoms include fever, muscle aches, chills and fatigue. In more severe cases, a rash can develop, often on the face and genitals, resembling those seen in chickenpox and smallpox.

Painful and itchy lesions can form across the body, before eventually becoming scabs and falling off.

Those infected with monkeypox usually begin experiencing symptoms seven to 14 days after infection, the CDC said. The illness usually lasts several weeks.

How dangerous is monkeypox?

Most people recover from monkeypox within weeks, but the disease can be fatal, according to the World Health Organization.

Scientists have identified two forms of the virus: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade. The West African clade is less fatal, with deaths occurring in about one percent of infections. The Congo Basin clade can cause death in as many as 1 in 10 people who contract the disease, the World Health Organization said.

While data is preliminary, the current outbreaks appear to be connected with the less-deadly West African clade, said Dr. Anne W. Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

Monkeypox: How to get a vaccine against monkeypox in the US. Who should get one?

Jimmy Whitworth, a professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Reuters that the virus likely won’t reach the same level of infections and deaths COVID-19 has.

"This isn't going to cause a nationwide epidemic like COVID did, but it's a serious outbreak of a serious disease – and we should take it seriously," Whitworth said.

Rimoin cautioned against comparisons to COVID-19 – in part because monkeypox is not a novel virus: "We’re not dealing with a completely novel pathogen that has never been studied before.”

Is there a vaccine for monkeypox?

Yes. Two vaccines developed against smallpox has been approved for monkeypox, and several antivirals also appear to be effective.

Rimoin said that the eradication of smallpox has left the globe vulnerable to outbreaks of related viruses, like monkeypox. Since smallpox vaccines aren't widely given, the immune protection they provide is lacking for billions around the globe.

In some cases, vaccines are being used to prevent monkeypox in people who may have been exposed to the virus, according to the CDC.

Have there been monkeypox outbreaks in the US before?

The CDC says monkeypox cases in the United States are rare.

Texas and Maryland each reported a case in 2021 in people who traveled to Nigeria.

In 2003, health experts identified 47 confirmed and probable cases of monkeypox across six states – Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin – according to the CDC. Officials traced the cases back to pet prairie dogs that were infected after being housed near imported small mammals from Ghana.

Monkeypox in Ohio: Ohio has first probable case of monkeypox, state health department says

The 2003 outbreak was the first time human monkeypox was reported outside Africa.

No deaths occurred as a result of that outbreak, Rimoin said. But, Rimoin said the recent cases are an “important reminder that an infection anywhere is potentially an infection everywhere.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Monkeypox in Ohio: Here's what you need to know about the virus