2nd case of monkeypox confirmed in Detroit

Beaumont doctor explains monkeypox and the risk after first case likely found in Michigan

Doctor Matthew Sims helped clear up questions and concerns about who's at risk for catching the virus - and what to do if you think you've been exposed.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A second Michigan case of monkeypox has been identified in a person from Detroit, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

It’s not clear whether the second case is linked to the state’s first confirmed case, which was identified last week in Oakland County, spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin told the Detroit Free Press.

Both remain under investigation, Sutfin said.

Health officials are trying to identify close contacts of the people who have monkeypox and might have been exposed, she said.

"Right now, the information we have suggests that the number of high- and intermediate-risk contacts associated with the two identified cases is small," Sutfin said.

Michigan is one of 34 U.S. states with known cases of the virus.

Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox, but its symptoms are milder. People usually recover within two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized, but the disease occasionally is deadly.

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