Monkeypox in Kansas: Public health officials identify first presumptive positive case in JoCo

Jason Tidd, Topeka Capital-Journal
·2 min read
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Public health officials have identified the first presumptive positive case of monkeypox in Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment made the announcement on Saturday that the case was identified based on testing at KDHE laboratories.

"The risk of monkeypox spreading in Kansas remains low," KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek said in a statement. "If you are experiencing symptoms of monkeypox illness, it’s important to stay home and contact your health care provider as soon as possible to avoid spreading the disease to others."

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The monkeypox vaccine is available to people with a known exposure to a confirmed case, but supply is limited. Eligibility is currently limited to people who have been contacted by KDHE or clinic partners.

Public health officials are working with the patient to identify close contacts who may have been exposed.

The patient is an adult from Johnson County who had traveled outside the state. No additional information was released about the patient to protect their privacy, the KDHE said.

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What is monkeypox and how does it spread?

An illustration of monkeypox virus particles. This virus, endemic to the rainforests in Central and West Africa, causes disease in humans and monkeys, although its natural hosts are rodents.
An illustration of monkeypox virus particles. This virus, endemic to the rainforests in Central and West Africa, causes disease in humans and monkeys, although its natural hosts are rodents.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with monkeypox virus, the KDHE reported. It spreads among people primarily through direct contact with infectious lesions, scabs, body fluids or by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact.

Typical disease symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash that looks similar to pimples or blisters can appear on the face, in the mouth and elsewhere on the body.

Not all cases show symptoms before a rash appears. The spots start small and look similar to chickenpox, but grow into larger blisters over time.

Jason Tidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Tidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: First monkeypox case in Kansas is a Johnson County adult who traveled