Gov. Pritzker declares monkeypox health emergency: What we know so far

CHICAGO (CBS)-- Gov. Pritzker on Monday declared a public health emergency as cases of monkeypox continue to spread.

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— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) August 1, 2022

Here's what we know so far:

Illinois Cases

As of August 1, a total of 520 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Health. This total includes all probable and confirmed cases.
The City of Chicago reported a total of 330 cases as of July 28.
A positive case of monkeypox was reported at the Cook County Jail on July 26. The Cook County Sheriff's Office said the individual is now in isolation, with the living unit quarantined. It's believed the person contracted monkeypox before being taken into custody.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on August 1 declared Illinois' monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency -- a designation that will allow the state to deploy all resources in fighting the outbreak.

Spreading Monkeypox

CDC officials said Monkeypox can spread through close, personal and often skin-to-skin contact.
Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the virus is spreading primarily among men with same-sex partners.
Information on the spread can be found on the CDC's website.

Vaccines

Health officials are working to get residents vaccinated. As of July 28, the Illinois state health department received 7,371 vaccine doses and the City of Chicago has received 18,707 vaccine doses, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Additional vaccines are on the way.
According to the CDC, JYNNEOS vaccines are being administered to people who have been identified as known contacts after contract tracing and risk exposure assessments. (Based on CDC guidelines, a known contact is identified as having a sexual partner in the past 14 days who was diagnosed with monkeypox.)
Vaccines are also being recommended for people who have an increased risk for exposure.

Monkeypox Symptoms

According to the CDC, symptoms include respiratory issues, fever, headache rashes. A full list of symptoms can be found here.
CDC officials said symptoms usually start "within 3 weeks of exposure to the virus." The illness typically lasts two to four weeks.
As CBS 2 reported, patients have described painful sores all over their bodies, along with fevers, headaches, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
Cases of monkeypox often resolve after a few weeks without additional treatment. Some reported cases have been more severe and have led to hospitalizations.