With 27 cases confirmed in the state, Lexington expands monkeypox vaccine eligibility
Kentucky’s monkeypox outbreak has now grown to at least 27 cases, according to the latest information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That’s one additional case since Gov. Andy Beshear’s Team Kentucky update last week, where he discussed the status of the outbreak in the state. Monkeypox has been confirmed in at least nine counties, Beshear said at his news conference Thursday.
Most of the cases are males, with only one female among them, Beshear said.
The case count as of Thursday included two in Fayette County, one in Barren County, 14 in Jefferson County, two in Christian, one in Kenton County, one in McCracken County, one in Montgomery County, one in Oldham County and three in Warren County.
“To reduce risk of transmission, avoid close physical contact with partners that have skin rashes or lesions. Anyone who’s concerned they may have symptoms should talk to their health care provider, and anyone who’s eligible for the vaccine – go get it, and get it as quickly as you can.” Beshear said at the news conference.
At the national level, there’s a total of 17,432 confirmed monkeypox cases in the U.S., according to CDC’s monkeypox tracker.
Note: This graphic will automatically update as new data become available.
Lexington expands vaccine eligibility requirements
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department announced Monday on its Facebook page more people are now eligible to receive the monkeypox vaccine, which it continues to offer for free at least three days each week.
After vaccinating 515 individuals at its initial clinic Aug. 18, LFCHD spokesperson Kevin Hall said an additional 96 people were vaccinated over the course of three clinic days last week.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health has expanded the criteria to anyone who reports any of the following:
- Close contact to someone with known or suspected monkeypox virus (direct skin-to-skin contact or other close contact)
- Diagnosis of HIV
- Diagnosis of chlamydia, gonorrhea or early syphilis within the prior 12 months.
- Receiving medications to prevent HIV infection (PrEP)
- Exchanging sex for money or non-monetary items
- Attending an event/venue where there was a high risk of exposure to an individual(s) with monkeypox virus through skin-to-skin or sexual contact
- Gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men, or transgender people who are sexually active
- Laboratory workers who routinely perform monkeypox or orthopox virus testing
- Health care professionals who have had high-risk occupational exposure without using recommended personal protective equipment in the past 14 days
- Individuals who, on a case-by-case basis, are determined at high risk for contracting monkeypox
Limited, same-day appointments can be made at www.lfchd.org/monkeypox every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8 a.m. that day, the LFCHD said.
Rate of monkeypox spread may be slowing
Friday – more than three months into the monkeypox outbreak in the U.S. – the CDC’s director indicated there are early signs the spread of the virus may be slowing.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told members of the media that while cases are still rising, the rate is lower.
“We’re really hopeful that many of our harm reduction messages and our vaccines are getting out there and working,” Walensky said, according to reporting by NPR.
Rates of new monkeypox infections have been slowing in the U.S., and health experts believe individuals who are most at risk of catching the disease are moderating their behavior to in turn reduce their risk, NPR reported.
Monkeypox isn’t a sexually transmitted disease, but it can spread through close, skin-to-skin contact with infected individuals.
That said, more than 94% of monkeypox cases in the U.S. are associated with sexual activity, and infectious disease experts attribute the slowdown to efforts to change behavior among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men – a group that accounts for the vast majority of cases.
Signs and symptoms of monkeypox
The name monkeypox is actually a misnomer: The virus was first isolated in 1958 in research monkeys, but its natural hosts are rodents and other small mammals. It is a cousin of smallpox, though much milder than that disease.
According to the CDC, primary symptoms of monkeypox include:
A rash that may be located on or near the genitals (penis, testicles, labia and vagina) or anus and could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face or mouth
The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing
The rash can initially look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy
Other symptoms can include:
Fever
Chills
Swollen lymph nodes
Exhaustion
Muscle aches and backache
Headache
Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion or cough)
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This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 4:02 PM.