Possible Monkey Pox Case Investigated In Nashville, TN

A possible case of monkeypox is being investigated in Nashville, Tennessee.  The Metro Nashville Health Department said the infected person recently traveled to a country with confirmed cases.  Confirmatory testing will be done by the Centers for Disease Control.  The person is isolating at home and health officials are trying to locate people who had contact with this individual.  The primary way monkeypox is spread is through close contact with infected people. It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal.  “Infection may begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion, but many of the cases associated with the 2022 outbreak have reported very mild or no symptoms other than rash,” MNHD officials said. Further symptoms can include chills or swollen lymph nodes. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.