Monkeypox: Jail Inmate In Chicago Tests Positive

An inmate at Cook County Jail tested positive for monkeypox, officials have announced. This comes as cases in the U.S. continue to rise.

The positive case was confirmed Monday, WGNTV reported, citing a statement it obtained from the Cook County Sheriff's Office. It is believed that the patient contracted the virus before being detained at Cook County Jail.

The patient had been staying in a separate housing intended for "newly admitted individuals" to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But the inmate was moved to isolation on July 19 after presenting symptoms and being tested.

"Due to the vast experience gained in combatting the spread of COVID-19, many key protocols are already in place to combat monkeypox, including medical isolation, quarantine, screening and testing," the statement read. "The individual was immediately removed from intake housing and taken to Cermak Medical Services for medical treatment before being placed in medical isolation."

According to the sheriff's office, contact tracing is ongoing, while the housing where the inmate was held is also being "quarantined and monitored." It noted that the risk to the staff as well as the others in custody is likely "low" considering how the disease spreads. The Chicago Department of Public Health paid the jail a visit Tuesday, WLS-TV Chicago reported.

"It is important to remember that the population in the jail is a microcosm of the community," Cook County Health noted, as per NBC Chicago. "As such, it is reasonable to expect cases to appear within the jail."

The U.S. has reportedly logged more monkeypox cases than any other country, BBC News said in a report, noting that the country has logged more than 3,800 cases as of Monday and surpassed the cases of Spain. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that states such as California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and New York have logged hundreds of cases each.

The World Health Organization determined just recently that the current monkeypox outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern." While the cases have mostly been logged among men who have sex with men, prompting calls against stigma and discrimination, the U.S. has also recorded its first cases of the disease in children.