First monkeypox case in North Carolina reported, state health leaders say: Friday, June 24

North Carolina now has its first case of monkeypox.

The state's Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) announced it confirmed the infection through the State Laboratory of Public Health. While the agency did not disclose where in the state the infected person lives, Atrium Health said Thursday that the case is not from Charlotte.

The patient's health care providers are now reaching out to possible close contacts.

"Though this is the first confirmed case in North Carolina, we know there are likely other cases in the state," Dr. Zack Moore, State Epidemiologist and Epidemiology Section Chief, said. "We are encouraging doctors to consider this in people who have a rash or skin lesion that looks like monkeypox."

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/nc-monkeypox-case-health-regional/275-78ac7d47-26cf-4bda-b412-e04bf77d42fb

Federal health officials on Thursday ordered Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market, the latest blow to the embattled company widely blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping.

The action is part of a sweeping effort by the Food and Drug Administration to bring scientific scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping industry after years of regulatory delays.

The FDA said Juul must stop selling its vaping device and its tobacco and menthol flavored cartridges. Those already on the market must be removed. Consumers aren't restricted from having or using Juul’s products, the agency said.

To stay on the market, companies must show that their e-cigarettes benefit public health. In practice, that means proving that adult smokers who use them are likely to quit or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them.

The FDA noted that some of the biggest sellers like Juul may have played a “disproportionate″ role in the rise in teen vaping. The agency said Thursday that Juul's application didn’t have enough evidence to show that marketing its products “would be appropriate for the protection of the public health.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/fda-bans-juul-e-cigarettes/507-3cdfe242-14b4-473d-9ebf-94d481c762a1

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!