Alabama now has 17 cases of monkeypox, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that shows total U.S. cases nearing 5,000.
Alabama announced its first two cases two weeks ago amid a global outbreak of monkeypox, a rare disease typically limited to central Africa. The first two cases were in Mobile and Jefferson counties; locations for the subsequent cases weren’t announced.
The state is in the process of receiving as much as 600 doses of monkeypox vaccine. Access will be determined by exposure and immune system risks of the patients, officials said.
Monkeypox symptoms are like smallpox symptoms but are typically milder and rarely fatal. The most characteristic symptom of monkeypox is a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth and one other parts of the body like hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.
The rash typically lasts two-four weeks and will go through different stages before healing.
Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and backaches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
Monkeypox is usually spread through close skin-to-skin contact or through broken skin or mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth.
READ MORE:
Alabama gets 200 doses of monkeypox vaccine: Here’s who is eligible
Monkeypox: What are the symptoms? Which symptoms show up first?
Monkeypox in Alabama: More cases expected, what you need to know
Alabama health officials report state’s first monkeypox case in Mobile
Alabama officials announce state’s second monkeypox case in Jefferson County
