LEONARDTOWN, MD (June 17, 2022) – The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) is enhancing surveillance and public health preparedness activities to monitor the emerging public health issue of monkeypox and to prepare for a local response if needed. Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Health announced the first presumed case of human monkeypox virus infection in a Maryland resident; there are no presumed or confirmed cases in St. Mary’s County at this time. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating multiple cases of monkeypox in several states.
Monkeypox is a viral illness with symptoms similar to but typically milder than smallpox. Symptoms typically begin with enlarged lymph nodes, fever, or headache and progress to a rash that involves firm skin lesions over face and/or body that may blister and fill with pus. The illness generally lasts 2 – 4 weeks and people are contagious from the onset of early symptoms (such as fever) through the complete healing of the body rash (all lesions scab over and fall off). Classic symptoms of monkeypox include:
- Fever, chills
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Exhaustion
- Rash (usually occurring within 1 – 3 days after the appearance of fever) – skin lesions over face and body that are firm and progress through stages of being filled with clear fluid, filled with pus, and then crusting/scabbing over
Monkeypox can be transmitted when a person comes into contact with an infected animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus. Person-to-person spread can happen through direct contact with the skin lesions or respiratory droplets/secretions during close contact. Monkeypox does not spread easily between people without close contact. The threat of monkeypox to the general population remains low at this time.
Historically, the majority of monkeypox cases have been reported in western and central Africa where associated fatalities have been as high as 10% of cases. More recently, the World Health Organization has been monitoring a multi-national outbreak of monkeypox cases not associated with travel to western/central Africa, raising the concern for community spread of the illness outside of Africa. Some of these cases have atypical symptoms. Early symptoms of fever, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes might not occur prior to the rash. The rash could be specific to a part of the body, such as the mouth or genitals, rather than spread all over.
Anyone with a rash that may seem similar to the monkeypox rash should avoid contact with others and talk to their healthcare provider, even if they do not recall contact with someone who has monkeypox. People who may be at higher risk include those who:
- Had contact with someone who had a rash that looks like monkeypox or someone who was diagnosed with confirmed or probable monkeypox
- Had skin-to-skin contact with someone in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity, this includes men who have sex with men who meet partners through an online website, digital application, or social event (e.g., a bar or party)
- Traveled outside the U.S. to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox activity has been ongoing
- Had contact with a dead or live wild animal or exotic pet that exists only in Africa or used a product derived from such animals (e.g., game meat, creams, lotions, powders, etc.)
“At this time we do not have any confirmed cases of monkeypox in St. Mary’s County,” said Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary’s County Health Officer. “Fortunately, this is a previously known illness with some tools available for public health outbreak control and treatment. SMCHD is closely monitoring development of the worldwide and state situation, including scientific understanding of the current virus involved, and preparing to deploy a local public health response if needed. Community members can stay informed and notify their primary healthcare provider if they have a personal health concern about monkeypox.”
Local health care providers who encounter a patient with illness or rash suspicious for monkeypox, or who identify exposure to a confirmed/probable monkeypox case should immediately contact the St. Mary’s County Health Department at (301) 475-4330 and ask for the Infectious Disease Program. Testing and reporting guidance has been issued to local health care providers via the St. Mary’s County Local Health Alert Network and are available online at: smchd.org/monkeypox/providers.
For more information on monkeypox, please visit: smchd.org/monkeypox.
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