PENOBSCOT COUNTY, Maine — Editor's note: The video attached to this story was published July 25, 2022.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed a second case of monkeypox in Maine.
The person who tested positive is a man from Penobscot County, Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah announced on Twitter Monday.
The announcement comes about a week and a half after health officials identified the state's first case in a male resident in York County.
Monkeypox symptoms include a rash or sores, bumps, and lesions that are painful. Some people may also experience flu-like symptoms, a fever, or fatigue.
Shah said 5,189 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in the U.S. as of July 29.
The virus spreads almost entirely through interpersonal, skin-to-skin contact, according to Shah. He said intimate contact, especially sexual contact, is the primary spreader of the virus.
"We're going to do what's best for people in Maine and try to minimize the chance that monkeypox spreads and maximize our chances of reducing the impact on those who are at risk," Shah told NEWS CENTER Maine on July 22.
"Right now, the risk [to] the general public is low. And that's a good thing. Our goal is to keep it that way. We want to make sure that those who are at a higher relative risk have what they need to stay safe."
The federal government has issued doses of a monkeypox vaccine called Jynneos to Maine. As of July 22, there were enough doses to vaccinate 311 people. Shah said the state should receive more doses in mid-August.
Shah emphasized it is particularly important right now that people are candid about their sexual health history when meeting prospective partners.
For more information about monkeypox, how it's spread, and how to prevent yourself from getting it, click here.
To view the U.S. CDC monkeypox outbreak tracker, click here.