Connecticut residents who are concerned about fever, swollen lymph nodes or a new rash should contact their health care provider, health officials said.
| Update
CONNECTICUT — The Connecticut Department of Public Health announced Monday that 11 state residents have been diagnosed with MPOX so far this year.
All MPOX patients were between the ages of 20 and 50 and resided in Fairfield, New Haven, New London and Hartford counties.
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The majority of these cases are not hospitalized. According to DPH, only four Connecticut residents have been diagnosed with MPOX (formerly known as monkeypox) in 2023, compared with 145 cases in 2022. There have also never been any MPOX-related deaths in Connecticut.
“Fortunately, thanks to the availability of the MPOX vaccine and increased awareness, we find ourselves in a very different situation than we were in 2022,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, M.D. “MPOX spreads through prolonged close contact with an infected person. This includes contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, sharing clothing or other materials used by an infected person, or inhaling respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.”
Residents who are concerned about fever, swollen lymph nodes or a new rash should contact their health care provider, Juthani said in a news release.
While anyone can be infected with or spread MPOX, current cases occur primarily among gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with other men or their sexual partners. Having multiple or anonymous sexual partners increases the odds of contracting MPOX, according to DPH.
State officials strongly encourage people at risk for MPOX to get vaccinated. For maximum protection, two doses of the vaccine are recommended. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only one in three at-risk Connecticut residents has received both doses of the vaccine.
Mpox causes a pimple- or blister-like rash that can be very painful and itchy. The rash may appear on the face, inside the mouth, or other parts of the body. People with compromised immune systems, including those with untreated HIV, are at higher risk of developing severe or even fatal Mpox if infected.
DPH has more information about the disease and its symptoms online .
