A fourth Massachusetts man has tested positive for the monkeypox virus, officials said Tuesday, two days after two other infections were reported and nearly a month after the state’s first case of the virus was announced amid an international outbreak.
The man’s initial testing was completed Monday at the State Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain, and further testing to confirm the infection will be conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a statement from the Department of Public Health.
The man is isolating to prevent spreading the infection, and DPH is working with him, health care providers, and local health officials to identify anyone who may have been in contact with the man while he was infectious, according to the statement.
“While we are in this current outbreak, and even though monkeypox remains rare, people are encouraged to be mindful of their health,” Dr. Catherine Brown, the state epidemiologist, said in the statement. “If you have any symptoms, and especially if you have a rash, it is best to avoid prolonged physical contact with anyone until you are well.”
CDC data shows 65 cases of monkeypox in the US this year. There have been no deaths related to the international outbreak, and most patients recover in two to four weeks, the Department of Public Health said.
Monkeypox symptoms include headache, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and the development of raised, fluid-filled lesions, though a rash is often the first symptom, the department said.
Initial cases of monkeypox, related to the smallpox virus, were linked to international travel, the department said. However, men who have sex with men now make up a large proportion of identified cases, though anyone who is exposed to someone with monkeypox is at risk, according to the statement.
The monkeypox virus does not spread easily but is transmitted by direct contact with bodily fluids or monkeypox sores, the department said. It cannot be spread through casual conversations, doorknobs, or walking past an infected person in public place, officials said.
Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeremycfox.