Troy Hill, Cronkite News
First Published: Jun 14, 2022 at 4:06 PM
PHOENIX — Arizona may have first case of monkeypox as health officials work to confirm presumptive positive cases Maricopa County Public Health and Arizona Department of Health Services June 7 announced to
Health officials have urged Arizona people not to panic about this rare, rarely fatal disease.
The positive results found by the Arizona Public Health Laboratory are being retested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a news release from the county department. The man, who tested positive, is in his late 30s and is recovering in isolation.
“It’s important to remember that monkeypox remains a rare disease here in the United States and in Maricopa County,” said Rebecca Sunenshine, M.D., medical director for disease control at MCDPH, in a statement.
According to the CDC, there have been 35 cases of monkeypox in the United States this year, with 12 reported in California, Colorado and Utah. As of Monday, the CDC reported 1,019 monkeypox and orthopoxvirus (broader genera) cases worldwide.
According to Grant McFadden, a professor at Arizona State University and director of the Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, the virus that causes monkeypox is related to smallpox, but with a much lower fatality rate. … apparently … He expects U.S. cases to rise until medical infrastructure catches up, but expects the mortality rate to remain below 1%.There are also several treatments and vaccines for monkeypox. McFadden’s main message to Arizonans is “Don’t lose your sleep” regarding the virus.
According to the CDC, monkeypox virus is primarily spread by direct contact with monkeypox lesions or rashes, but it can also be spread by sexual contact, respiratory droplets, and animals.
County medical epidemiologist Dr. Nick Stave said health officials are working with health care providers statewide through the Health Alert Network to keep an eye on monkeypox symptoms. Providers that identified potentially infected individuals were part of this network.
The county hopes that people in Arizona will monitor their symptoms and take health precautions to keep transmission low.
Health officials recommend precautions similar to those used to stem the spread of COVID-19. If you have respiratory symptoms or fever, wash your hands, wear a mask and stay home.
Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and fatigue. The most recognizable symptom is sores, or smallpox, that occur all over the body. It may be present before or after symptoms appear and may be the only symptom.
Non-endemic monkeypox is rarely found in most Western countries, but several European countries have reported more than 1,000 cases, with the highest number in the United Kingdom and a small number in South America, the Middle East, and Australia. has been discovered. .
