Monkeypox virus unlikely to present major threat to mid-Missouri, health officials say

Lauren Tronstad, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read

Mid-Missourians are encouraged not to fear the appearance of monkeypox in the United States as the human-to-human transmission is characteristically low.

The first confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States this year was reported on May 18. The positive test occurred after the Massachusetts resident returned from a trip to Canada.

Other suspected cases currently under investigation include two in Utah, one in New York City and one in Florida.

"I will say the risk for Columbia and our region right now is low," MU Health Care infectious disease specialist Christian Rojas said during a Zoom interview.

He urged mid-Missourians not to panic about the emergence of the virus in the United States.

If monkeypox is to make its way into the area, MU Health Care intends to treat the patients similar to COVID-19, keeping them isolated and monitoring symptoms, Rojas said.

This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Monkeypox, a disease that rarely appears outside Africa, has been identified by European and American health authorities in recent days. (Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner/CDC via AP) ORG XMIT: NY815

While monkeypox is in the same family as smallpox, it is far less dangerous. It appears first as a flu-like illness, with fever, muscle aches and malaise. The virus is followed by skin lesions, though a rash may appear first, Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, a veterinarian and deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said according to USA Today.

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The incubation period for monkeypox is typically six to 13 days but can span anywhere from five to 21 days, according to World Health Organization. Monkeypox is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials, such as bedding.

"The transmission capability between humans is low, much lower than in the case of COVID-19," Rojas said. "... We already have testing available for monkeypox, and there's a vaccine that can be deployed that is already available."

The same vaccine used for smallpox can be used to treat and prevent monkeypox, making the spread of the virus more preventable in its early stages in comparison to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rojas said.

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While only time will tell, he does not foresee the need for a mass vaccination recommendation coming from the CDC like was done with the coronavirus.

Lauren Tronstad covers local government and politics for the Tribune. Contact her at LTronstad@gannett.com or on Twitter @LaurenTronstad.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Officials: Monkeypox unlikely to present major threat to mid-Missouri