Southern Seven Health Department in far southern Illinois has confirmed the first case of Monkeypox in this area.
Department leaders say they were notified on Wednesday of a resident who tested positive for the virus - staff are now going through the contact tracing process to alert people of possible exposure and provide vaccines as necessary.
While the virus has no specific treatment, some antiviral drugs have been shown to help ease symptoms. Those symptoms include: fever, headache, muscle aches or back aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and a rash.
If you have symptoms of Monkeypox, call your primary care provider and try to avoid contact with others until you can get an exam.
