Monkeypox is on the rise. Here’s what to know about its symptoms, signs and testing

WLRN 91.3 FM | By Howard Cohen |Miami Herald,

Published July 8, 2022 at 5:48 AM EDT

FILE - This 1997 image provided by the CDC during an investigation into an outbreak of monkeypox, which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire, and depicts the dorsal surfaces of the hands of a monkeypox case patient, who was displaying the appearance of the characteristic rash during its recuperative stage. Health authorities in Africa said Thursday, June 30, 2022 they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak there as an emergency and are calling on rich countries to share the world's limited supply of vaccines in an effort to avoid the glaring equity problems seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. (CDC via AP, File)

In the past two decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded two individual cases of monkeypox and one outbreak among dozens of people across six states who became ill after having contact with pet prairie dogs.

The two individual cases among U.S. residents, both in 2021, were associated with travel to Africa, according to the CDC, and the outbreak among more than 40 people occurred in 2003 after the pet prairie dogs were housed near small animals from Ghana — marking the first time that human monkeypox was reported spreading outside of Africa.

With the number of confirmed and probable monkeypox cases rising rapidly in Florida and elsewhere, public health officials say it is critical for everyone to look out for potential symptoms.

Read more from our news partner at the Miami Herald.