Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) is investigating a monkeypox case in a Dallas County resident who has traveled internationally in the last month to a country with reported monkeypox cases.
Preliminary test results came back positive on June 6, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory in Atlanta, Georgia, will be including it in its official case count, according to a press release.
The infected person’s identity has not been released due to privacy concerns. Health officials have identified individuals who have been in contact with the patient and are monitoring them for symptoms.
The CDC is also working with the airline and state local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient aboard a flight from Mexico to Dallas.
“We have been working closely with the CDC and Texas Department of State Health Services and have conducted interviews with the patient and close contacts,” said DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang in a press release on June 7.
“We have determined that there is a little known risk to the general public at this time,” Huang said. “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 suspect cases to public health officials.”
Officials report that the monkeypox virus spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids. The press release further indicated that the virus can be transmitted via respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact, including sex, kissing, or cuddling.
Those infected with monkeypox may experience fever symptoms, rashes, and swollen lymph nodes, with the possibility of more serious complications.
Further information on monkeypox can be found on the CDC’s website.