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(Undated) -- The first case of Monkeypox virus infection is being reported in Iowa.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says the case is an adult in North Central Iowa. Testing was conducted by the State Hygienic Lab in Coralville.
A press release from HHS reads as the following:
"The patient was likely infected during international travels and is isolating, receiving outpatient care and in regular communication with health department staff. HHS staff and local public health are conducting contact tracing with local health partners to identify anyone who may be at risk due to direct close contact with the patient while infectious."
The symptoms of Monkeypox include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that looks like pimples or blisters. In some cases, people get only the rash.
HHS says Monkeypox does not spread easily. The virus requires direct contact with the rash, scabs, body fluids, or prolonged face-to-face contact. They say the risk to the public is low, but anyone with a rash that looks like Monkeypox should talk to their healthcare provider.
More than 5,700 cases have been reported globally, with 460 cases in the U.S. across 32 states. The virus was first confirmed in May of this year in the United Kingdom.