Local and state NC health officials: Monkeypox outbreak is no reason to panic

As the White House declares a public health emergency for the latest outbreak of monkeypox, health officials in North Carolina have one message for residents: don’t panic.

The US has tracked more than 6,600 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox since mid-May, leading President Joe Biden’s administration to declare a health emergency last week. The World Health Organization previously declared it a worldwide emergency.

Cases were identified in nearly every state, with more than 80 in North Carolina. However, none have been tracked in the Wilmington-area so far.

But North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley said last week during a visit to Wilmington there was no need to panic, as monkeypox is much less contagious than previous health emergencies like COVID-19. It spreads through prolonged skin-to-skin contact and there is much more research about the virus than there was when COVID-19 first began spreading.

“We're paying very close attention as far as who was at risk and who was getting impacted," Kinsley said. “We're preparing to put forward a monkeypox response strategy plan, we have been working with our local partners.”

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Kinsley said most cases are in gay men, particularly Black gay men, because of prolonged exposure during sexual encounters, though monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection. More than 60% of the cases so far in North Carolina are in Black men, he said.

“What that tells me is that the systems that support those individuals are failing,” he said. “If we see a health disparity we need to tackle it head on.”

Additionally, across the 70 countries that do not have endemic level spread of monkeypox, 98% of cases are in gay men.

However, he said anyone who has prolonged skin exposure with another person like people who work with children or people playing contact sports can be exposed to the virus.

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New Hanover County Pandemic Operations Team Manager Jon Campbell said in an emailed statement the state has been proactive in obtaining the vaccine and has developed a communications toolkit for local health departments.

The Pandemic Operations Team is working closely with the Communicable Diseases and Clinical Teams to make sure the community is informed and equipped with resources regarding the virus.

New Hanover County announced it will continue to provide free monkeypox vaccines to eligible residents 18 years or older. The Jynneos vaccine prevents monkeypox or reduces severe illness if received within two weeks of exposure, according to a news release from the county.

Individuals who have been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox in the last two weeks, men who have sex with other men or transgender individuals, and certain healthcare workers are eligible for the vaccine. Kinsley said he recommends any man who had more than one male sexual partner within the last 90 days, was diagnosed with an STI in the last 90 days or is on PrEP for HIV treatment should seek out the vaccine.

Monkeypox is rarely life-threatening, and typically causes lesions similar to other pox viruses like smallpox. The virus was discovered in monkeys in a laboratory in Denmark in 1958, and the first infections in humans were tracked in the 1970s. Throughout this summer, outbreaks have been reported in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.

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It can take up to three weeks for symptoms to appear, and blisters typically heal within three to four weeks. Other symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and fever.

Anyone seeking further information about the virus or the vaccine can contact the New Hanover County Pandemic Operations Center 910-798-6800 or visit the county’s Health and Human Services website.

Contact reporter Sydney Hoover at shoover@gannett.com or on Twitter @sydneymhoover.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How local, state health officials are addressing monkeypox outbreak