NJ Added to Monkeypox List

A federal inquiry into the U.S. monkeypox outbreak expanded to eight more states Wednesday, including New Jersey. Pennsylvania was already on the list.

Monkeypox-infected prairie dogs from one source -- Phil's Pocket Pets of Villa Park, Ill. -- may have been sold to "numerous buyers" in 15 states since April 15, according to a Department of Agriculture Emergency Management Warning issued Wednesday.

The warning provides an update of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's investigation into the monkeypox outbreak.

The new states being investigated include Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and New York. Health officials previously had been investigating Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio and South Carolina for the prairie dogs.

CDC spokesman Tom Skinner declined to comment on the expanded investigation Wednesday, saying that more information would be released during a Wednesday afternoon news conference.

New Jersey state health officials said Tuesday they may have identified a case of monkeypox in New Jersey. But they'll have to wait days to confirm their suspicion.

That's how long it will take the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to analyze blood and lesion samples from the patient, an 11-year-old from northern New Jersey.

Health officials believe the boy became infected after coming in contact with prairie dogs while visiting the Midwest.

The boy contracted a high fever and later developed blisters on his head and body, state Health Commissioner Doctor Clifton Lacy said.

MONKEYPOX Afraid Of Monkeypox? Fact Sheet CDC Info. WHO Info. Guidelines For Vets, Pet Owners CDC officials have announced a total of five confirmed human cases of the disease -- four in Wisconsin and one in Illinois. In all, 50 possible cases have been reported -- 23 in Indiana, 20 in Wisconsin, six in Illinois and the one case in New Jersey, Skinner said Wednesday. No one has died of the disease.

Smallpox vaccine can be used to protect humans from monkeypox. A CDC immunization committee has been discussing whether to release the vaccine to people who may have been exposed to the disease, and a decision was expected Wednesday.

The CDC's investigation found that Phil's Pocket Pets sold the animals at three swap meets in different states. Sales were made to Lee Watson's Reptile Show in Schaumburg, Ill. on April 20, May 3 and May 18; the Midwest Reptile Show in Indianapolis, Ind. on April 27 and an unspecified date in May and the All-Ohio Reptile Show in Columbus, Ohio on April 19.

Monkeypox, which produces fever, rash, chills and aches, is a milder relative of smallpox. It has a mortality rate of 1 percent to 10 percent in Africa, but no humans have died in the United States, and U.S. officials believe better nutrition and medical treatment probably will prevent deaths.

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