The following is a news release distributed through the Otero County health department release by Prowers county.
Monkeypox identified and confirmed in Prowers County
PROWERS COUNTY – On August 4, 2022, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) notified Prowers County Public Health and Environment (PCPHE) of a confirmed case of monkeypox. The risk to the general public continues to be low.
Meagan Hillman, Director of PCPHE said, “The purpose of this communication is to let the public know that monkeypox has been confirmed in our community and the risk to the public is low. To maintain the confidentiality of individuals, no further information will be shared about this case or future cases,” she said.
Monkeypox has been spreading in parts of the United States. Colorado currently has 79 confirmed cases. The World Health Organization declared the current monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. CDPHE is the best source for updated information: cdphe.colorado.gov/monkeypox. PCPHE urges anyone with symptoms to isolate and contact their healthcare provider.
Information that everyone should know about monkeypox:
Transmission
Monkeypox can be spread through:
Direct skin-skin contact with rash lesions
Sexual/intimate contact, including kissing
Living in a house and sharing a bed with someone
Sharing towels or unwashed clothing
Respiratory secretions through prolonged face-to-face interactions (the type that mainly happen when living with someone or caring for someone who has monkeypox)
Monkeypox is NOT spread through:
Casual brief conversations
Walking by someone with monkeypox, like in a grocery store
Symptoms
Symptoms of monkeypox can include:
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches and backache
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
Exhaustion
Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.
The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.
Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.
Symptoms usually appear one to two weeks after infection. Coloradans can help prevent the spread of monkeypox by avoiding close physical contact with individuals who have acquired monkeypox, wearing a high-quality mask if they will be spending time in close contact with someone experiencing symptoms of monkeypox, and contacting a health care provider as soon as possible if they experience symptoms.
Vaccination The JYNNEOS vaccine is a fully FDA-approved two-dose vaccine, with doses given four weeks apart. If received between four and 14 days after exposure, the vaccine can help prevent severe illness but may not completely prevent infection.
Due to extremely limited national vaccine supply, PCPHE can only use allocated vaccine for close contacts identified by Public Health.
Statewide case counts are updated weekly and can be found here: cdphe.colorado.gov/monkeypox .
For more information, visit: cdphe.colorado.gov/monkeypox. Or call CO HELP: 1-877-462-2911
PCPHE is happy to answer questions and coordinate a visit with a person’s healthcare provider, 719-336-8721
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