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Monkeypox: Mississippi confirms 1st case of virus; US total nears 3,500 cases

JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed the state’s first case of monkeypox on Monday, bringing the nationwide total to 3,487 viral infections across 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tally.

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While the case represents the first one diagnosed in the Magnolia state, the health department stated that it “remains likely that other cases will be identified as well,” WHBQ-TV reported.

Health officials have not said where in Mississippi the patient resides or if out-of-state travel was a factor, the TV station reported.

By Monday evening, nearly 17,000 monkeypox infections had been confirmed across 74 countries, 68 of which have not historically reported the virus, according to the CDC.

Monkeypox typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes before progressing to a rash on the face and body. Most infections last two to four weeks, KSDK reported.

Per 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.”

To date, New York has confirmed the most infections with 990 cases, followed by California with 356, Illinois with 344, Florida with 273, Georgia with 268 and Texas with 220.

Meanwhile, the District of Columbia has confirmed 139 cases; Maryland has confirmed 87 cases; Pennsylvania has confirmed 84 cases, Massachusetts has confirmed 82 cases; New Jersey has confirmed 81 cases; Washington has confirmed 69 cases; Colorado has confirmed 53 cases; Oregon has confirmed 40 cases; Virginia has confirmed 39 cases; Arizona has confirmed 35 cases; North Carolina has confirmed 34 cases; Indiana has confirmed 33 cases; Louisiana has confirmed 25 cases; Michigan has confirmed 24 cases; Connecticut has confirmed 22 cases; Minnesota has confirmed 20 cases; Tennessee has confirmed 18 cases; Ohio has confirmed 15 cases; South Carolina has confirmed 12 cases; Nevada and Utah have each confirmed 11 cases; Hawaii and Rhode Island have each confirmed 10 cases; Puerto Rico and Wisconsin have each confirmed nine cases; Missouri has confirmed eight cases; Iowa and New Mexico have each confirmed seven cases; New Hampshire has confirmed six cases; Alabama and Nebraska have each confirmed five cases; Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma have each confirmed four cases; Delaware has confirmed three cases; Idaho and Kansas have each confirmed two cases; and Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota and West Virginia have each confirmed one case.