MADISON, Wis. — As some states deal with outbreaks in the hundreds, Wisconsin’s monkeypox case count is at 22 as of Monday, Aug. 1.

Here in Wisconsin, it’s been identified in Dane, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Kenosha, Langlade, Racine, Walworth, Winnebago, and Waukesha counties. 

Across the country, more than 5,000 people have confirmed cases of monkeypox. New York City alone has more than 1,100 cases. 

The telltale sign of a monkeypox infection is a rash, often painful, and blistering. While it’s open, it facilitates the spread of the virus until it’s closed and healing. 

A monkeypox infection can start with vague symptoms, like a headache and fever. 

“One thing that’s a little different that happens early monkeypox is swollen lymph nodes, and then most people end up getting a rash a day or two later,” said Dr. Dan Shirley, UW Health Medical Director of Infection Prevention. “If you get a rash that makes no sense to you, that’s new, and you had some of those other symptoms, it’s worth talking to your doctor at that point.” 

Monkeypox is mainly spread through skin-to-skin contact. Often, that’s through sexual contact, because of the length and intimacy of exposure. 

The CDC said monkeypox can also spread by coming in contact with items touched by an infected person, like bedding and clothes. 

However, Dr. Shirley said that’s a far less likely way for the virus to spread. He equated it to the early days of the pandemic, when there was more focus on disinfecting surfaces for COVID-19. Since then, studies have shown that to be far less of a concern. 

“There’s a difference between finding [the virus] places and the ability for people to get it from those places,” he said. “We can rely a little bit on how the cases have spread, and all the cases that we know about … if it was super easily transmissible, it wouldn’t be predominantly sexual contact.” 

The monkeypox vaccine is very limited in its supply. Wisconsin is only getting enough to fully vaccinate 743 people, according to the Department of Health Services. 

Officials are prioritizing the groups most at risk of monkeypox in their vaccination efforts. That includes people who had intimate contact with someone who tested positive; those who were at an event where there was known monkeypox exposure; or people in the LGBTQ community who have had sex with multiple men over the last two weeks. 

The best way to find out whether you qualify or to get a vaccine is to talk to your doctor.