2 Monkeypox Cases Likely Found In Salt Lake County, Officials Say

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Two adults from the same Salt Lake County likely contracted monkeypox after traveling internationally, health officials said Monday.

The adults showed symptoms after traveling earlier this month to an area experiencing monkeypox cases. Both people were isolated and are not a risk to the public, the county's health department said Monday morning. Both experienced mild illness and were expected to fully recover. Medical privacy laws prevent officials from sharing more information about the individuals, the health department said.

Utah’s public health system has not identified any exposure risk to the public stemming from the two probable cases. Health experts said any concern over possible exposure is limited to specifically identified people who had direct, close contact with the infected adults while they were infectious. Health officials expected to reach all close contacts of the two persons by the end of Monday.

Monkeypox, usually contained to central and west Africa, is a rare, potentially serious viral illness that usually begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes before progressing to the rest of the body in a rash, or "pox." Infections can persist for up to four weeks.

There is no proven, safe treatment for monkeypox, county health officials said. Limited evidence available indicates smallpox treatments may be useful. Most patients recover with no treatment.

Monkeypox isn't easily spread; it usually occurs through bites or scratches from rodents and small mammals, preparing wild game or coming into contact with an infected animal. Individuals can also be infected through contact with infected people, their clothing or bedsheets.

It enters the body the way infections normally do, through breaks in the skin — even microscopic cuts — and through the eyes, nose or mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Animals can spread it to humans in multiple ways, including through bites and scratches, but also as their meat is being prepared for human consumption. Person-to-person transmission occurs "primarily through large respiratory droplets" that generally can't travel far, according to the CDC.

Monkeypox is primarily found in central and western African countries, including in Nigeria, where about 450 cases have been reported since 2017, according to the CDC.

A Massachusetts man was diagnosed with the first U.S. confirmed case this year after traveling to Canada. One thing that is different with the current monkeypox cases is they are appearing in people who haven't traveled from Africa. Still, U.S. and European health officials stress the risk to humans is very low, The Associated Press reported.

Monkeypox and smallpox symptoms are similar, and the same vaccine that eradicated smallpox around 1950 curbed monkeypox in humans, according to research published in 2005 documenting a re-emergence of monkeypox.