NewsDesk @bactiman63

The Texas Department of State Health Services is working with Dallas County Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate a single case of monkeypox virus infection in a Dallas County resident with recent international travel.

Dallas County, TX map
Image/David Benbennick via Wikimedia Commons

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.

Public health officials are reaching out to passengers who could have been exposed to the patient on a flight from Mexico to Dallas with instructions on how to monitor themselves for symptoms.

“We have been working closely with the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services and have conducted interviews with the patient and close contacts,” said Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) Director Dr. Philip Huang. “We have determined that there is little known risk to the general public at this time. However, monkeypox cases have been spreading globally, and we are actively working with local healthcare providers to ensure they are prepared to recognize monkeypox and report suspected cases to public health officials.”

The monkeypox virus spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infectious sores,
scabs, or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact. Monkeypox can spread during intimate contact between people, including during sex, as well as
activities like kissing, cuddling, or touching parts of the body with monkeypox sores.

Recently, monkeypox cases have been linked to men who have sex with other men and participate in high-risk activities. Those infected with monkeypox may experience fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes, as well as more serious complications.

As of June 7, 2022, CDC has reported 35 total confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases from 14 states and the District of Columbia.