Monkeypox cases confirmed in Tri-State; time for 'awareness, not alarm,' official says

At least two cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the Tri-State region as the diseases spreads across the nation, according to information from Meritus Health.

Meritus reported that a monkeypox test it collected last week came back positive for the disease. The patient was not identified, but Meritus said the person is a Tri-State resident.

In addition, Meritus reported there is an additional monkeypox case involving a Washington County resident. That person was not tested at the Meritus Health testing location, and is not receiving care at Meritus Medical Center.

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"This confirmation is being shared for awareness, not alarm,” Carrie Adams, Meritus Medical Center's chief operating officer, said in the news release issued Tuesday.

“Remember, this is not COVID. The rates of hospitalization and severe illness from monkeypox are exceedingly low. If you have been exposed to monkeypox, or think you’ve been exposed, you are not contagious if you do not have symptoms and in particular the presence of the characteristic rash,” Adams said.

"We are monitoring, providing guidance and contract tracing for one county resident who has tested positive for monkeypox," Washington County Health Officer Earl Stoner wrote in an email Tuesday.

Following the state's lead, the county department is not currently a public tracker of cases broken down to the county level.

People should take concerns and questions about the virus to their own doctors first, Stoner wrote. Updated information from the Maryland Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  is included on the county health department's monkeypox resources page at https://washcohealth.org/monkeypox-mpx/

"It's important for our community to understand that vaccines in Maryland are currently being given to people who have a known exposure to someone with monkeypox," Stoner wrote. "Again, it's important to talk with your primary care provider about eligibility for the vaccination and testing options."

Cases also have been confirmed in the WellSpan Health system, which operates hospitals in Chambersburg and Waynesboro, Pa., and as well as other facilities in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

"I can confirm that we have had cases across the health system, but I cannot share specific case counts by hospital due to HIPAA privacy restrictions," Ryan Coyle, a spokesman for WellSpan, wrote in an email Tuesday.

HIPAA refers to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

"Monkeypox cases continue to increase nationally and globally," Coyle wrote. "It is still unclear how widespread this outbreak will become."

Coyle and Adams said it is important for people to become familiar with monkeypox symptoms and the ways the virus is spread.

Those symptoms can include a rash, fever, headache, muscle ache and fatigue, Meritus reported.

The illness typically lasts two to four weeks.

Meritus Health recommends that you call your doctor's office if you think you have sores or lesions on your body that could be caused by the disease.

Meritus also offers virtual consultations through MeritusNow.

How the monkeypox virus spreads

The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox, according to information Meritus has posted online.

According to the Maryland Department of Health, the monkeypox virus spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person-to-person through:

• ​Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids

• Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex

• Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids.

In addition, pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta, the department reports.

How to get tested for monkeypox

Testing for monkeypox is being offered at the Meritus Medical Laboratory on Crayton Boulevard.

Patients will need an order from a provider, such a primary care physician, Meritus Urgent Care or MeritusNow, to be able to be tested.

Testing for monkeypox is not available at the hospital's emergency department.

Monkeypox is endemic in parts of Africa, where people have been infected through bites from rodents or small animals, but it wasn’t considered a disease that spreads easily among people until May, when infections emerged in Europe and the U.S.

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There have been more than 39,000 cases reported in countries that have not historically seen monkeypox. The vast majority have occurred in men who have sex with men, but health officials stress that anyone can get monkeypox.

Earlier this month, the federal government declared a public health emergency to bolster the response to the monkeypox outbreak. The announcement will free up money and other resources to fight the virus.

As of Monday, the United States reported 15,433 confirmed cases of monkeypox, the most of any nation. About 98% of U.S. cases are men, and about 93% were men who reported recent sexual contact with other men.

Of the nation's total, 422 were in Pennsylvania, 379 were in Maryland and four were in West Virginia.

Mike Lewis covers business, the economy and other issues. Follow Mike on Twitter: @MiLewis.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Monkeypox: First cases reported in Washington County, MD