First probable case of monkeypox identified in Idaho. Here’s what we know
A probable case of monkeypox, a viral disease spreading in many countries around the world, has been identified in Idaho.
A central Idaho resident likely acquired the infection during travel to a country with a monkeypox outbreak, according to a Wednesday news release from the Department of Health and Welfare. While initial identification was performed at the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories, samples are “being sent to CDC for confirmation of the monkeypox virus,” the release said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The resident lives in the “Central District Health area,” according to the release, which includes Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties.
About 560 cases of monkeypox have so far been identified in the U.S., and over 6,000 cases have been reported outside of Africa, where the disease is usually found.
The disease, which generally causes a characteristic rash, has been located in countries throughout Europe, South America and in Asia, according to the CDC.
Last month, the CDC raised its alert level about the virus to Level 2, which recommends practicing “enhanced precautions” when traveling.
Idaho’s state epidemiologist, Dr. Christine Hahn, told the Idaho Statesman in June that the worldwide outbreak is unusual, and that health officials are still investigating its cause.
Most monkeypox cases result in mild illness, and so far no one with monkeypox in the U.S. has died, according to the release. Unlike COVID-19, the disease is understood to spread only through close, intimate contact, Hahn said.
“This is a virus that does not naturally occur in the United States,” said Victoria O’Dell, staff epidemiologist with Central District Health, in the release. “The cases we have seen in the U.S. and the one possible case in Idaho have been associated with international travel or importing animals from areas where the disease is more common.”
How does it spread, and what are the symptoms?
Monkeypox spreads mostly through close contact with infected people, including through sores, scabs or body fluids, and respiratory droplets combined with prolonged face-to-face contact, according to the release.
Many of the cases have spread through sexual contact.
“We are reminding people to look out for new spots, ulcers, or blisters on any part of their body,” Hahn said in the release. “If anyone suspects they might have monkeypox, particularly if they have recently had a new sexual partner, they should limit their contact with others and contact their healthcare provider as soon as possible — although please phone ahead before going in person.”
To prevent spread, Health and Welfare suggests frequent hand-washing — especially after contact with those who are possibly infected — and limiting contact with animals or animal products from central and west Africa. Idahoans should limit contact with people who have a “new rash,” and, if they develop one themselves, should stay home and isolate from household members.
Aside from the characteristic lesions, some patients experience flu-like symptoms and, in the days before a rash, and swollen lymph nodes. Health and Welfare said the rash can begin on any body part as a small, red spot, and that they can become “firm and circular with a defined border, and may become pus-filled with an indentation (like a dot) in the middle.”
Patients are symptomatic from when symptoms begin until when all lesions have healed, the release said. The incubation period is between one and two weeks, Hahn said in June.
