The viral infection known as monkeypox is here.

County Commissioner of Health Dr. Carol Smith announced Saturday that Ulster has its first confirmed case of the disease.

“The Ulster County Department of Health has been preparing for this contingency and is poised to respond quickly to ensure public health and safety,” county officials stated in a press release. “Public health nurses are conducting case investigation to identify any potential close contacts, and those close contacts will be offered the JYNNEOS vaccine by the [health department]. Others who believe they have been exposed to monkeypox may also be eligible for the vaccine and should call their doctor.”

In the press release, Smith is quoted as saying that local officials have been in daily contact with state public health officials monitoring the spread of the infection, the first case of which was detected in New York back in June. Last week, New York City declared a public health emergency as infections are on the rise there; as of Saturday, 1,862 cases have been reported to the state Department of Health.

“We have a limited supply of the JYNNEOS vaccine to administer to individuals who meet the criteria established by the New York State Department of Health,” Smith stated. “We have been engaged in a public awareness campaign to share information about monkeypox through social media and public service announcements. We also have access to treatment through the State for severe cases.”

“I encourage all residents to be informed of monkeypox symptoms and to call your doctor if experiencing any,” County Executive Pat Ryan stated. “We will continue to update the public to ensure full transparency as the situation develops.” County officials, citing HIPAA rules, declined to identify the municipality where the case was reported.

According to the county, monkeypox is a viral infection in the same family as smallpox and spreads in several ways such as by direct contact with monkeypox lesions through skin-to-skin contact, or by contact with respiratory droplets or saliva from someone with monkeypox. It can also spread through touching objects, fabrics like clothing, bedding, or towels, and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox.

Symptoms can include rashes, bumps or blisters on or around the genitals or in other areas like the hands, feet, chest or face. Also common are flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, chills and fatigue. These symptoms may occur before or after the rash appears, or not at all.

Currently, state guidelines limit monkeypox vaccine eligibility to individuals who meet the following criteria:

Individuals with recent exposure to a suspected or confirmed monkeypox case within the past 14 days.
Those at high risk of a recent exposure to monkeypox, including gay men and members of the bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming community and other communities of men who have sex with men and who have engaged in intimate or skin-to-skin contact with others in the past 14 days areas where monkeypox is spreading.
Individuals who have had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity.

For more information, follow @UCDeptHealth on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for more information, or call the Ulster County Service Center at 845-443-8888, Monday-Friday, from 9:30am-4:30pm. Ask to speak to a public health nurse, if reporting symptoms.

Visit the New York State Department of Health’s website to learn more: https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/monkeypox/.