COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Public Health reported an investigation into a case of monkeypox in the Columbus area.

What You Need To Know

  • A new case of monkeypox was reported in the Columbus area

  • The recent case involves a 48-year-old man

  • It is the second case in Ohio

The case involved a 48-year-old man who told Columbus Health he was isolating. It is the second case reported in the state. 

According to a tweet from Columbus Public Health, "at this time, risk to the general public remains low."

The CDC is currently tracking the 2022 outbreak as many countries continue to report cases, including the United States, which currently has at least 200 cases. 

According to the CDC, monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. It's part of the same family as smallpox, and while symptoms may be similar, they are milder than smallpox and monkeypox is rarely fatal. 

Symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches and backache
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Chills
  • Exhaustion
  • A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.
    • The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts between two to four weeks.

The CDC recommends anyone who has a rash that resembles monkeypox speak to their health care provider. 

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