First case of Monkeypox identified in Albany County

ALBANY – Albany County health officials Tuesday announced the first case of monkeypox has been identified in the county.

The infected person has a history of out-of-state travel and is not believed to have contracted the case in Albany County, officials said.

Monkeypox is a viral infection that is extremely rare, and often does not cause serious illness, officials said. It can, however, lead to hospitalization and death, especially if left untreated.

Infections spread through close physical contact between individuals or between individuals and contaminated objects and typically last about two to four weeks, officials said.

As of Monday, there have been at least 651 confirmed cases of monkeypox identified in New York State, most – 618 – were located in New York City.

The first infection outside New York City was identified in Sullivan County June 7. Additional monkeypox infections have been reported and confirmed in Westchester, Suffolk, Nassau, Monroe, Erie, Chemung, Rockland and St. Lawrence counties.

“As we learn more about this case of monkeypox and those around the state, now is not the time for alarm or panic,” Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said in a statement. “Albany County has demonstrated our ability to deal with communicable infections in the past and we will bring that same focus and professionalism to this outbreak. We stand ready to work with the Governor and the State Department of Health to ensure we have the treatments, vaccines and response necessary to protect our residents.”

More information from the New York State Department of Health: Monkeypox

Categories: -News-, Schenectady County