Monkeypox case found in Pitt County – WITN

July 27, 2022 Kim Martel

PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – The Pitt County Health Department says a case of monkeypox has been found in Pitt County.

Public Health Director Dr. John Silvernail says a report on July 18th found a case of monkeypox in Pitt County and the test result was further verified the next day.

Silvernail says that the case was not acquired in Pitt County and there are currently no exposures in the county. No additional information on the monkeypox case was given in order to protect the patient’s privacy.

WITN is told that Pitt County is currently the hub in the region for monkeypox vaccines, and Beaufort and Pamlico counties have asked for small quantities of the vaccines.

Silvernail urges those who qualify for a vaccine to get one.

WITN asked Silvernail about the stigma surrounding the virus currently disproportionately affecting the gay, bisexual, and transgender male communities.

“Most importantly, while most of these cases are overwhelmingly in those communities, the potential to spread outside of those communities is there. There’s nothing unique to a gay man, a bisexual man, a transgender man, that makes them more susceptible to this,” Silvernail says.

Silvernail reiterated that as people, we often have skin-to-skin contact with others, so the virus will continue to circulate until enough people get vaccinated so that health officials can get a handle on the virus.

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