No monkeypox in Abilene, Taylor County health sources say – Abilene Reporter-News
Reports of monkeypox in Texas have caused concern for health officials, but the illness does not appear to have made it to Taylor County, local sources say.
As of Friday afternoon, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported a dozen cases in the state, three in Public Health Region 2/3, which includes Taylor County and a number of surrounding counties.
But there are no confirmed cases of monkeypox here, said Annette Lerma, who heads the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District.
“We are continuing to see the hardest hit sub population across the country be men who have sex with men, but there are other people who have gotten it as well, so anyone can be susceptible,” Lerma said.
Lynne Bruton, marketing and public relations manager for Hendrick Health System, said there have been no positive cases reported in the facility’s hospitals.
The hospital has been educating staff about precautions and procedures related to the illness, Bruton said.
“We are ready if we receive a positive case,” she said.
More:How to get a vaccine against monkeypox in the US. Who should get one?
Tracking cases
According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, scientists are tracking multiple cases of the illness, which has been reported in several countries that normally do not report the disease.
It is not clear how those exposed acquired monkeypox, which is considered rare, the CDC said.
But early data suggest that gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men make up a high number of cases.
However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.
Despite its name, the initial source of the illness, discovered in 1958, remains unknown.
African rodents and nonhuman primates, such as monkeys, may harbor it.
The last time monkeypox was a concern in the United States, it was not being transmitted person-to-person, Lerma said, but through rodents.
A series of June 2003 Reporter-News stories examined concerns about prairie dogs potentially spreading the illness locally after an outbreak in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Health officials said the scenario was unlikely.
That outbreak involved a batch of prairie dogs that came from a pet distributor in suburban Chicago.
About monkeypox
Monkeypox is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox. It is not related to chickenpox.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a rash that can look like pimples or blisters.
The rash can appear on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body, including the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.
Some people acquire a rash first, followed by other symptoms, while others only a experience a rash.
Prevention requires avoiding close skin-to-skin contact with the rash.
People should also avoid sharing eating utensils or cups, not handle or touch a sick person’s bedding, towels or clothes and wash hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Those traveling to Central or West Africa should avoid contact with animals such as rodents and primates, which can spread the disease.
A person who has the illness should isolate at home.
If they have an active rash or other symptoms, they should be in a separate room or in an area away from other family members and pets.
Brian Bethel covers city and county government and general news for the Abilene Reporter-News. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.