Colorado’s second presumptive case of monkeypox identified

A second presumptive monkeypox case has been identified in Colorado.

The case is awaiting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmation, according to a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment news release.

“The new presumptive case is a young adult male who sought care in the Denver area and is improving and isolating at home,” the CDPHE said.

The first possible case in the state was announced by health officials on Thursday. That patient is described as a young man from the Denver area who had traveled to Canada, which is dealing with a monkeypox outbreak.

Friday’s presumptive case is a close contact of the state’s first presumptive case, health officials said.

“The person who acquired the virus was a close contact of a person known to public health as a presumptive case of monkeypox,” the CDPHE said.

Monkeypox often begins with a fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion, the CDPHE said. A rash typically develops within one to three days after the onset of fever, often beginning on the face and spreading to other parts of the body.

Health officials say that the monkeypox risk to the public remains low and that there is an effective vaccine available, that can be administered soon after exposure, to minimize the illness. It is rarely fatal.

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