LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio — Lorain County Public Health (LCPH) announced Friday that a case of monkeypox has been detected in the county. They were notified of the case by the Ohio Department of Health.
The person with monkeypox is a resident of Lorain County and is isolating. County health leaders say the risk to the general public is low.
“We have been closely monitoring the monkeypox outbreak in the United States. We are monitoring the person, and we continue to reach out to all known close contacts to help prevent the spread of this disease,” said LCPH Commissioner Mark Adams, MPH, REHS, in a statement. “It’s important that people understand how to protect themselves from monkeypox so they can make informed choices when in situations or places where monkeypox could be spread."
LCPH advises residents to take the following steps to avoid contracting monkeypox:
- Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox.
- Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.
Adams says a person can get monkeypox is they have close, personal contact with someone who has symptoms of monkeypox. The virus can spread in fluid or pus from monkeypox sores. Here are some examples of hiw the disease can spread:
- Person-to-person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs or body fluids.
- Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, such as while kissing, cuddling, or sex.
- From pregnant person to fetus through the placenta.
- Touching things that were used by a person with monkeypox, including sheets, towels, and other objects that touched the infectious rash or body fluids.
The news comes on the same day that the city of Cleveland reported 11 monkeypox cases.
Previous Reporting: