New Mexico reports first 'probable' monkeypox case
Jul. 11—State health officials have reported what they say is New Mexico's first probable case of monkeypox, a disease considerably less transmissible than the coronavirus but still contagious enough to be of concern.
Initial testing by the state detected the virus in a person who likely was exposed to someone infected with monkepox during out-of-state travel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will conduct follow-up tests to confirm whether it's monkeypox, the state Department of Health said Monday in a news release.
New Mexico is one of several states on Monday that reported a first probable monkeypox case.
In an email, David Morgan, a state Department of Health spokesman, wrote the transmissibility is "much, much lower" than that of the coronavirus.
"Monkeypox across the nation is growing steadily but at a slow and predictable rate," Morgan wrote. "There are still fewer than 1,000 confirmed cases across the country."
Monkeypox is endemic of several Central and West African countries, with the first cases identified in the Congo in 1970. It recently emerged in Europe.
Flu-like symptoms usually start within 21 days after exposure, including fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills or exhaustion, health officials said.
A rash or sores then appear, often on the hands, feet, chest, face or genitals.
Most infections last two to four weeks, and people should isolate at home until they are no longer contagious — which occurs after the scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed, officials say.
The disease can be spread through close contact, including:
* Direct contact with an infected person's rash, sores or scabs.
* Contact with objects, surfaces and fabrics — such as clothing, bedding, towels — that an infected person used.
* Respiratory secretions through kissing and other face-to-face contact.
"Most significantly, it requires direct skin-to-skin contact," Morgan wrote in the email. "The CDC reports there is still a very low chance of transmission of 'respiratory droplets,' but again, this is very uncommon."
For those who have been exposed to monkeypox, the CDC recommends a vaccine that can help prevent or reduce symptoms.
As with any disease that can be spread through intimate contact, people should err on the side of caution, Morgan wrote.
"If a partner has a visible rash, be careful and consider testing," Morgan added.
State health guidelines for monkeypox also caution against gatherings in which people make skin-to-skin contact. And to avoid sharing items that could come in contact with the rash or lesions, such as clothing, towels, wash cloths and bed linens.
One health expert said the CDC was correct in not labeling monkeypox a pandemic because, even though it is international in scope, it is spreading slowly.
"A pandemic is a rapidly spreading infection across the world — that has not happened," said Jagdesh Kubchandari, a public health professor at New Mexico State University.
So far, it has mainly spread through high-risk activities, Kubchandari said. And unlike COVID-19, it hasn't been shown to have an asymptomatic infectious phase, he said.
People shouldn't be alarmed about its arrival in New Mexico, but they also shouldn't be complacent, he said, adding it calls for "enhanced precautions."
The most hazardous aspect of monkeypox is it's completely foreign to the U.S., so medical providers and the public will have to learn how to identify it, he said.
"Monkeypox is a very rare disease in the United States, and it's important to keep in perspective that monkeypox does not spread as easily among people," acting state Health Secretary David Scrase said in a statement. "While the risk for most people remains low, anyone who has close contact with someone with monkeypox is at risk of infection, which makes this a public health concern for all of us."
