“Both individuals are in isolation and do not present a risk to the public,” officials advised.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Executive director of Salt Lake County Health Department Dr. Angela Dunn speaks at a news conference in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. At left is Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson. Dunn is expected to brief the public Monday morning on two suspected monkeypox cases in Salt Lake County, which officials announced Monday.
Two adults in the same Salt Lake County household are suspected to have monkeypox based on preliminary testing, Salt Lake County Health Department officials announced Monday morning.
The two infected individuals traveled internationally earlier this month to an area “currently experiencing monkeypox cases” and became symptomatic afterward, officials said in a news release.
“Both individuals are in isolation and do not present a risk to the public,” officials said in the release. “They are experiencing mild illness and are expected to recover fully.”
Further information about the two presumably infected individuals was not released early Monday; county health department officials cited medical privacy laws.
Dr. Angela Dunn, executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department, is expected to address the apparent monkeypox cases in a news briefing Monday morning.
Exposure concerns
According to county officials, “Utah’s public health system has not identified any exposure risk to the public due to these probable cases.”
Any exposure concern is instead limited to people who were specifically identified to have had “direct, close contact” with the presumably infected individuals during their infectious period, officials said in a statement.
County and state health department officials are contacting those apparent close contacts and expect to reach all of them by the end of the day Monday, according to the news release.
What experts know about monkeypox
Monkeypox is a rare illness typically found in Central and West Africa, but health officials have recently identified cases in Europe and North America.
In humans, monkeypox symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes, Salt Lake County health officials advised. People infected with monkeypox often develop a rash, usually first on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, which then turn into fluid-filled bumps called “pox.”
The “pox” lesions typically scab over before falling off, officials said. Infection can last between two and four weeks.
President Joe Biden on Sunday said the monkeypox cases recently identified in Europe and North America were something “to be concerned about,” The Associated Press reported this weekend.
How monkeypox typically spreads
Monkeypox is not known to spread easily among humans, and transmission does not generally happen through casual contact, Salt Lake County officials advised.
Instead, human-to-human transmission generally occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids, including monkeypox lesions. It can also occur through “prolonged, close face-to-face contact.”
It usually takes about seven to 14 days for someone to go from being infected with monkeypox to begin showing symptoms, but that time period can range from five to 21 days, officials advised.
“Infected people are not contagious before they show symptoms,” officials said.
There is currently no proven, safe treatment for monkeypox, however — limited available evidence indicates that smallpox treatments may be useful, officials said. Most people recover with no treatment.
If you plan to travel internationally soon
Utahns who plan to travel internationally should reference the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s current recommendations on monkeypox and other communicable diseases for their intended destinations, Salt Lake County health officials advised.
Those recommendations include frequent, thorough hand-washing, avoiding contact with animals, and avoiding close contact with people who are apparently experiencing symptoms of monkeypox or other illness.
People with planned international travel should consider checking to make sure that they are up to date on recommended immunizations and educated about potential health risks at their intended destinations, advised officials.
You can plan an appointment with the Salt Lake County Health Department Travel Clinic to check by calling 385-468-4111.
For more information about monkeypox, visit CDC.gov/monkeypox.
— This is a developing story and will be updated.
www.sltrib.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism