July 01, 2025
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La Salle County Health Department identifies county’s first probable monkeypox virus case

Case is considered probable until officially confirmed by the CDC

By Shaw Local News Network
FILE - Jonathan Parducho, a pharmacist, removes a tray of vials of of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox from a box containing 20 doses, in the vaccine hub at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, July 29, 2022, in San Francisco. The U.S. will declare a public health emergency to bolster the federal response to the outbreak of monkeypox that already has infected more than 6,600 Americans. That's according to two people familiar with the matter said. (Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Public health officials have identified the first probable case of monkeypox virus in a La Salle County resident. The case is considered probable until confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Lea Suzuki/AP)

Public health officials have identified the first probable case of monkeypox virus in a La Salle County resident. The case is considered probable until confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

LaSalle County Health Department is collaborating with the Illinois Department of Public Health to complete contact tracing for the case to identify any close contacts and provide vaccines to those identified as an exposure risk.

This contact tracing approach is appropriate given the nature and transmission of the virus and to coordinate timely risk assessment and appropriate post-exposure response. At this time, LaSalle County Health Department has not identified any additional cases in the county.

To protect patient confidentiality, no further details relating to the patient will be disclosed.

“At this point in the investigation there is no indication there is a great risk of local spread of the virus,” Chris Pozzi, LaSalle County Health Department Administrator said. “MPV does not spread as easily as the COVID-19 virus and typically requires close skin-to-skin contact. However, people should be aware of symptoms and that anyone in close contact with a person with MPV can get it regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.”

According to the CDC, person-to-person transmission is possible through close physical contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets following prolonged face-to-face contact.

Monkeypox symptoms usually start within three weeks of exposure to the virus. You may experience all or only a few of the symptoms of monkeypox including fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters

People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. However, anyone in close contact with a person with monkeypox can get it and should take steps to protect themselves.

While there currently is no specific treatment approved for MPV infections, antiviral drugs used to treat smallpox can sometimes be used, as smallpox and monkeypox viruses are genetically similar.

If you have symptoms of monkeypox, talk to your health care provider, even if you don’t think you had contact with someone who has monkeypox.

The monkeypox virus was discovered in 1958 and is endemic in parts of the world. Since March 2022 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been tracking multiple clusters of monkeypox that have been reported globally in 95 locations that do not normally report monkeypox.

According to the World Health Organization, the majority of human monkeypox cases experience mild to moderate symptoms and do not require hospitalization.

Vaccines developed to protect against smallpox viruses may be used to prevent monkeypox infections. While LCHD has reported a confirmed case of MPV in LaSalle County, vaccine eligibility remains limited at this time.

LaSalle County Health Department encourages the public to stay informed and aware about the ongoing Monkeypox global outbreak.

For more information on MPV visit dph.illinois.gov/monkeypox.html or www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/.