OTTAWA — The Putnam County Health Department on Thursday confirmed the county’s first monkeypox case.
The health department is working to identify persons who may have been exposed to the illness through close contact with the infected individual, but there is no risk to the general public, according to a press release Thursday.
Health officials have identified 259 cases of the rare illness in Ohio since June, two of which were previously reported in Allen County. But the illness has yet to be detected in many surrounding counties like Auglaize, Hardin, Hancock, Mercer or Van Wert County, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.
Health officials have been working to vaccinate those at risk of exposure, particularly men who have sex with men or anyone who has had close contact with an infected individual, but vaccine supply has been limited and varies by county. As of Thursday, the Putnam County Health Department did not have any monkeypox vaccine in stock.
Monkeypox typically spreads through close or intimate contact, but the illness may also spread through touching contaminated surfaces like bedding. A person may be contagious for two to four weeks, or until their rash has fully healed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Only one death has been attributed to the illness in the U.S. since the nationwide outbreak started this spring, while 10 percent of confirmed cases in Ohio have required hospitalization, according to ODH and CDC data.
