Maine’s First Reported Case of Monkeypox is From York County

Maine's first reported case of Monkeypox is a York County resident.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is working to identify close contacts of the male, and said the result came from a private lab. No other information will be disclosed about the male in order to protect his privacy.

“While this is the first case of monkeypox identified in Maine, Maine CDC has been preparing for a case for several weeks given the international outbreak,” Maine CDC Director Nirav D. Shah said in a statement. “This disease is rare and the risk to the general public remains low."

There are 311 doses of a monkeypox vaccine called Jynneos received from the federal government and made available in Maine. There are also limited numbers of vaccinations provided to New Hampshire.

A Rockingham County resident was diagnosed as New Hampshire's first reported case. The CDC reported a total of three cases in New Hampshire as of Thursday, and 55 in Massachusetts.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same group of viruses as smallpox. Transmission of monkeypox requires close interaction with a symptomatic person.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, exhaustion, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, and swollen lymph nodes. A few days after the start of these symptoms, a skin rash or spots appear that change over time. Those with monkeypox are contagious until all skin lesions have scabbed over and fallen off a person’s skin.

With a limited supply of vaccines, prevention of monkeypox is the best strategy:

• Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.
• Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with a person with monkeypox.
• Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox.
• Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH