Monkeypox cases grow in Tampa Bay area with 7 total cases in two counties
The Florida Department of Health has confirmed monkeypox cases in two areas near Manatee County.
According to a recent state report, Pinellas and Polk counties have seven reported virus cases between them.
Pinellas has five reported cases of Monkeypox and Polk has two as of Friday.
One case in Pinellas is confirmed as monkeypox, and the other six are probable cases.
Currently, Sarasota and Manatee have none.
Monkeypox symptoms start similar to flu symptoms causing fever, chills, headache, tiredness, and swelling of the lymph nodes, then progress to a rash on the face and body.
In May, the Massachusetts Department of Health reported a man who had recently returned to the U.S. from Canada had been infected with the virus. It was the first reported U.S. case in the most recent outbreak.
Since then, there’s been a national outbreak, and Florida has seen a rapid rise in Monkeypox cases over the past month, with 88 cases documented across the state.
The counties with the most cases so far are Broward with 53 and Miami-Dade with 15.
