Austin, Travis County leaders declare monkeypox a public health emergency

Austin Mayor Steve Adler, Travis County Judge Andy Brown and Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes issued orders Tuesday to declare monkeypox a public health emergency in Travis County.

The orders were primarily issued to drive awareness in the community of the disease, Adler said, and so that people "can adjust their behaviors to limit the spread and the potential for spread in the community."

There are now 68 confirmed and presumed cases of monkeypox in Travis County. A confirmed case is one that has been verified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while a presumed case involves a person who has tested positive but not had their case confirmed by the CDC. The first case in Travis County was investigated on June 23, and case numbers have grown each week.

"This began in isolated incidents, through certain social communities, but it is now clear it is being spread in all communities," Adler said.

There are now 702 cases in Texas, including nine cases in women and two cases in children. In Austin, the cases have all been in men, Walkes said. One person has been hospitalized locally to control pain.

The United States has had 8,934 cases of monkeypox, the most cases of any country to date in this outbreak. Last week, the White House also declared monkeypox a public health emergency.

Of the tests Austin Public Health has sent out, 80% are coming back positive, Walkes has said.

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Seeking more local resources

Another reason to issue the emergency order, Adler said, was to be in line for more resources and to cover the cost of those resources, if they become available.

"Our hope is that this declaration will help drive more resources to Travis County and Austin, especially vaccines, which we do not have enough of right now, and testing and quicker testing," Brown said.

Austin Public Health has made requests to the state for vaccines and medications and has received more than 3,000 doses of the two-dose monkeypox vaccine as well as some medication to treat the disease, but because the disease is spreading "we've come to a place where those things are running out," Walkes said.

The vaccine was actually a smallpox vaccine being given an extended use for this purpose, Walkes said. It is made in Denmark, Walkes said, and there were not enough vaccines in the U.S. when this outbreak began. Bigger shipments are not expected to reach the U.S. until September, Adrienne Sturrup, director of Austin Public Health, said last week.

Austin Public Health has been testing, treating and vaccinating people, Walkes said, but "those resources have become increasingly more scarce as we've had spread of the disease in our community," she said. "We've come to you today to declare this as an emergency as has been done by the federal government, to ask the community as our resources have become more tapped to do what we know we can do as a community to stop the spread in the community."

These include washing hands, avoiding skin-to-skin contact and covering your skin when you can, she said. People who are sick or have a rash should stay home until they recover, which can be three to four weeks, Walkes said.

How monkeypox is spread

Monkeypox spreads in these ways:

• Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs or bodily fluids.

• Respiratory secretions with face-to-face contact during activities such as kissing, cuddling or sex. "Masking is important," Walkes said.

• 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.

"The virus spreads when we don't take the action we need to protect ourselves," Walkes said. If we do what we need to do to protect ourselves, we will be able to continue our lives in a safe matter, she said.

"With colleges, universities, schools and festivals happening this fall, it's imperative for everyone to know the symptoms of monkeypox and to do our part to slow the spread," Brown said.

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What are monkeypox's symptoms?

Symptoms of monkeypox can include:

• Fever.

• Headache.

• Muscle aches and backache.

• Swollen lymph nodes.

• Chills.

• Exhaustion.

• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters. It can be on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.

People should monitor themselves and their children for any of these symptoms and not go to public places until they can get a diagnosis. Sometimes the fever, chills and exhaustion begin a day or two before the rash. Sometimes those symptoms don't appear first.

Most cases of monkeypox are of the less severe form of the disease, medical experts say. The West African version, which is what we have in the United States, has a 3% to 6% mortality rate.

The disease can be very painful in areas with sensitive tissue, including the mouth, eyes, genital area and anus, Walkes said.

People at risk for severe cases of the disease include:

• People who are already immune-compromised. This includes people who have HIV.

• Children younger than 8. (In the U.S. there have been two pediatric cases.)

• Pregnant women can pass the disease to their fetuses and could be at risk of miscarriage.

• People with the disease touch their rash and then touch other areas of their body. They could create multiple rash sites.

Getting vaccinated or tested for monkeypox

Austin Public Health is prioritizing the vaccinations for people who have come in contact with someone infected with monkeypox in the past 14 days or someone who has multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days with people in and around a high area of cases. People can call Austin Public Health's equity line, 512-972-5560, for information on vaccination.

"We're ready to distribute vaccines," Brown said. "Austin Public Health and other clinics are ready with the infrastructure. We just need access to more vaccines."

Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox, so the chickenpox vaccine will not give you monkeypox protection. If you've had a smallpox vaccine, you might have some protection, but it's not known how long those inoculations last, Walkes said. Austin Public Health is still giving people it has identified as being at risk a new monkeypox vaccine even if they've had a smallpox vaccination previously.

The course of monkeypox

Monkeypox can take up to 21 days before symptoms surface, the CDC said.

If you need a test for monkeypox, you can call Austin Public Health's equity line or see a health care provider. You can only get tested if you have a rash because the test involves taking a swab of a sore.

While you are waiting for the results of the test, you should isolate, including from other people in your home. You should wear a mask and do your own laundry, if possible. You should use a separate bathroom if possible or clean it in between uses. You should isolate from pets because it can be spread to pets.

If you test positive for monkeypox, you can be contagious for between two and four weeks, according to the CDC.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: City, county, Austin Public Health declare monkeypox a public health emergency