Another suspected monkeypox case reported in Douglas County

The Douglas County Health Department on Monday reported that it is investigating the county’s fourth suspected case of monkeypox.

That report raises the state’s total of presumed monkeypox cases to six — and marks the first case in Nebraska since the World Health Organization over the weekend declared the monkeypox virus a global health emergency.

A statement from Lindsay Huse, Douglas County health director, said that a process has started to trace the latest patient’s contacts. But the county will not release any more details on the person in an effort to protect privacy.

The risk to the public remains low, the county statement said. Anyone with the characteristic rash that looks like pimples or blisters should contact a health care provider or the Health Department.

The disease sometimes starts with a fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion. It is spread through direct contact with an infected person’s rash, scabs or body fluids or respiratory secretions during prolonged intimate contact.

The current outbreak has disproportionately affected men who have sex with men and individuals meeting partners through online websites or social events, the county said, adding that it is important to know that anyone having several minutes of skin-to-skin contact with an infected person is at risk.

More than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide, and more than 2,800 cases have been reported in the U.S. and its territories.