Officials Confirm First Monkeypox Case In Snohomish County

Health officials confirmed the first known case of monkeypox in Snohomish County, as well as a possible case in Pierce County.

The Snohomish Health District identified an adult male in his 30s as the infected person on July 8, per a Monday announcement (July 11). On July 9, a Pierce County man in his 30s tested positive for Orthopoxvirus, the genus that causes monkeypox and other diseases, the agency adds.

Public health officials are working with the patients to find out who they were in contact with. There are 15 confirmed and probable monkeypox cases in Washington state.

Monkeypox can spread through close physical contact, including sexual contact, according to experts. The Snohomish Health District says anybody can get the virus, but some are at higher risk of exposure, including "men who have sex with men, people who are sexually active with multiple partners, and people traveling to areas where monkeypox is spreading more widely."

Symptoms include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash that causes bumps, blisters, or ulcers. Most people recover within two to four weeks, but monkeypox can be severe for immunocompromised individuals, children, people with a history of eczema, and those who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding, according to the health officials.