Monkeypox has arrived in Shelby County.
The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) confirmed the first reported monkeypox case in a news release Monday evening. The health department said it is working with the patient and the patient’s health care providers to identify anyone who may have been in contact with the patient while they were infectious.
Monkeypox was first confirmed in the U.S. in May. The number of cases nationally is now around 3,487, according to the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tennessee now has 18 confirmed cases, according to the CDC. Arkansas has four and Mississippi has one, the CDC says. New York has the most cases with 990.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The White House said the move was “a call to action for the world community to stop the spread of this virus.”
To fight the outbreak, the Biden Adminstration said it has “dramatically” scaled up the procurement, distribution, and production of vaccines, expanded access to testing and treatments, and communicated with communities most at risk of contracting the virus., but noted, ”that is not enough” and promised to ”step up our work to aggressively combat this virus and protect communities in the United States that have been affected by monkeypox.”
Monkeypox is a rare disease in the same family of viruses as smallpox. According to the CDC, the monkeypox virus can spread from person to person through:
• direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
• respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex
• touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
• pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta
Infection may begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion before the developing rash. Many of the cases associated with the 2022 outbreak have reported very mild or no symptoms other than rash.
The virus can be transmitted from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. Most people recover in two to four weeks, but the disease can be serious in rare instances, especially for immunocompromised people, children, and those who are pregnant.
People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. Contacts are monitored for several weeks, as it can take as many as 21 days after exposure for symptoms to develop. The public is advised to be alert for the appearance of any new rashes characterized by sores, bumps, or fluid-filled bumps and seek medical evaluation from their primary care physician or health care provider if they have symptoms or concerns.
An effective vaccine against monkeypox exists, but there is no recommendation for vaccination for those without a known exposure to confirmed cases, and the vaccine is not yet available to the general public.
For more information visit:
Tennessee Department of Health monkeypox page
CDC guidance for health care professionals
