Monkeypox diagnosed in Albany County - ABC News 10 Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The first case of monkeypox—orthopoxvirus—was officially identified in Albany County, announced County Executive Daniel McCoy. The subject of the infection has a history of out-of-state travel, according to the announcement, and officials think they contracted monkeypox outside county borders.

Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that may not cause serious illness, or may cause hospitalization and death when untreated. The virus spreads through close physical contact with infected individuals or contaminated objects. The infection typically lasts for about two to four weeks.

“Now is not the time for alarm or panic,” McCoy said. “Albany County has demonstrated our ability to deal with communicable infections in the past and we will bring that same focus and professionalism to this outbreak. We stand ready to work with the Governor and the State Department of Health to ensure we have the treatments, vaccines, and response necessary to protect our residents.”

As of July 18, there were roughly 651 total confirmed cases of monkeypox diagnosed statewide. They were located in New York City and Sullivan, Westchester, Suffolk, Nassau, Monroe, Erie, Chemung, Rockland, and St. Lawrence Counties.


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