Communicable disease disasters are back on the frontburner as monkeypox in Dallas was announced yesterday afternoon in a combined press conference by Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and Dallas County Health officials.
DSHS is actively working with Dallas County Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the current single case of the virus infection in a Dallas County resident who had traveled to Mexico recently.
The patient is isolated at home. The public health investigation has identified a few people who may have been exposed in Dallas and are monitoring themselves for symptoms of infection. The illness does not currently present a risk to the general public thought there are multiple cases happening in Europe indicating it may be community spread.
The CDC are tracking multiple cases of monkeypox that have been reported in several countries that don’t normally report monkeypox, including the United States. DSHS and the CDC urge health care providers in the United States to be alert for patients with rash illnesses consistent to monkeypox.
Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal.
It can also be transmitted from person to person by inhaling large respiratory droplets or through close contact with body fluids and lesions, as well as bedding and other contaminated materials. Those infected may experience fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes, as well as more serious complications.
Monkeypox in Dallas – Again
Last July, a patient returning from international travel was diagnosed with monkeypox. That diagnosis and the presence of Candida Auris – an untreatable fungal infection – led to concerns about additional infections on top of the coronavirus pandemic.
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