4 monkeypox cases detected in Pinellas County

Four cases of monkeypox have been diagnosed in Pinellas County, according to the most recent state data available.

Monkeypox is generally a mild, viral disease similar to smallpox. But it can cause serious or even deadly health complications for people who are immunocompromised, pregnant women, newborns, women who are breastfeeding, young children, and people with severe skin diseases such as eczema.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fevers and chills, swollen lymph nodes, rash, and headaches. It can take up to 21 days after exposure for them to develop.

The Pinellas cases appeared in Florida Department of Health data as of Tuesday. No cases have been recorded in Hillsborough or Pasco counties. Two have been confirmed in Polk County.

Florida has seen 71 cases of the disease this year with 40 concentrated in Broward County and 14 in Miami Dade.

More than 7,200 cases have been confirmed across the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 600 have been found in the U.S.