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MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2003

Federal and state health officials reported an outbreak of monkeypox, an illness related to smallpox, in the Midwest.

At least 29 cases of monkeypox are suspected in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Officials believe humans contracted it from pet prairie dogs that were traced to an exotic pet dealer.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever cough, headache, myalgia, rash, or lymph node enlargement within 3 weeks after contact with prairie dogs or Gambian giant rats. It is not considered as deadly as smallpox or as infectious. No patients have died.

The cases are the first reported in the Western Hemisphere. Monkeypox is a rare disease that is found primarily in Central and West Africa, according to the CDC.

Get the Story:
Officials Scramble to Contain Monkeypox (The Washington Post 6/9)
Pox-Like Outbreak Reported (The Washington Post 6/8)
Less Lethal Cousin of Smallpox Arrives in the U.S. (The New York Times 6/9)
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Relevant Links:
CDC Monkeypox website - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/monkeypox/index.htm