Officials say that the first case of monkeypox has been identified in Orange County.

They say there have been at least 651 confirmed cases of monkeypox identified throughout New York as of July 18, with most of them New York City.

The first infection outside of New York City was identified in Sullivan County on June 7.

Additional monkeypox infections have been reported and confirmed in Westchester, Suffolk, Nassau, Monroe, Erie, Chemung, Albany, Rockland and St. Lawrence counties.

Officials say that monkeypox is a rare viral infection that often does not cause serious illness. H however, it can lead to hospitalization and death, especially if left untreated. Infections spread through close physical contact between individuals or between individuals and contaminated objects, and typically last about two to four weeks.