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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
First probable case of monkeypox reported in Iowa
DES MOINES — An adult from north-central Iowa is infected with the state's first probable case of monkeypox, the Iowa Department of Public Health said.
The patient, who was not identified, was likely infected during international travel and is now in isolation and receiving outpatient care, the health department said Friday. The department is conducting contact tracing to determine if anyone else is at risk.
Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.
U.S. health officials on Tuesday expanded the pool of people advised to get vaccinated to include those who may realize on their own that they could get infected. That includes men who have recently had sex with men at parties or in other gatherings in cities where monkeypox cases have been identified.
They also said they are providing more monkeypox vaccine, working to expand testing, and taking other steps to try to get ahead of the outbreak. About 460 cases have been reported in 32 states.
FILE - This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Health authorities in Africa said Thursday, June 30, 2022 they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak there as an emergency and are calling on rich countries to share the world's limited supply of vaccines in an effort to avoid the glaring equity problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP, File)