NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Department of Health reported three new cases of monkeypox on Friday, with all three individuals from the New Orleans metro area.
Friday's announcement brings the total number of monkeypox cases in Louisiana residents to six. The LDH said that there are likely more undiagnosed human cases of monkeypox in Louisiana.
In response, the health department has launched a monkeypox dashboard which will be updated daily at noon, except for weekends and state holidays.
Monkeypox cases have been identified in 44 states and Washington D.C., with more than 11,000 cases reported across 65 countries. There have been no deaths in the United States to date from the virus.
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a potentially serious viral illness that typically involves flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash that includes bumps that are initially filled with fluid before scabbing over. Illness could be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or with chickenpox. Most infections last two to four weeks.
Monkeypox spreads in different ways. Monkeypox virus is most often spread through direct contact with a rash or sores of someone who has the virus.
It can also spread through contact with clothing, bedding and other items used by a person with monkeypox, or from respiratory droplets that can be passed through prolonged face-to-face contact, including kissing, cuddling or sex.
According to the CDC, early data suggest that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases. However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.
Symptoms of monkeypox can 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
Sometimes people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash. Some cases in the current U.S. outbreak have experienced only isolated rashes in the genital region or other body parts.
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