NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Metro Public Health Department in Nashville said Thursday they are investigating a case of monkeypox virus infection in a Davidson County resident.
According to the health department, this person recently traveled to a country where monkeypox is present, and is isolating at home.
The testing confirmed an orthopoxvirus in the individual, which is a type of virus that monkeypox falls under. The test results will be sent to the CDC for confirmation of the monkeypox virus.
The health department is working with the Tennessee Department of Health and the person's healthcare provider to find those who were in contact with them.
According to the CDC, monkeypox is spread through direct contact with an infectious rash, scabs or bodily fluids, prolonged face-to-face contact and intimate physical contact.
The CDC said the disease cannot be spread by individuals who aren't experiencing symptoms, which typically include fever, headaches, muscle aches and exhaustion.
Monkeypox symptoms may be similar to those of the smallpox virus, but milder, and the CDC said the disease is rarely fatal.
Monday, Arkansas reported its first confirmed case of the monkeypox virus in a resident.