New King County Monkeypox Cases Point To Local Transmission: Officials

KING COUNTY, WA — King County public health officials on Wednesday confirmed new monkeypox cases and said the most recent suggested the infections spread within the community. Public Health - Seattle & King County reported its first presumptive case connected to an international outbreak in May, and Wednesday said nine cases had been identified to date.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testing has identified 7,000 cases around the globe and roughly 560 cases inside the United States. In King County, public health officials said the most recent patients had not traveled during the time they were exposed, suggesting the virus was transmitted locally.

“Finding monkeypox in residents who were likely exposed locally highlights the importance for people who are at higher risk for monkeypox and for healthcare providers to be able to recognize the symptoms promptly, and to take steps to limit the risk for infection and the spread to others." said Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County's health officer. “We expect to see additional cases locally as the outbreak grows in the US and globally. We are working to limit the impact on our community, collaborating with a strong network of community-based organizations to share information so that people can quickly recognize if they develop a rash or other flu-like symptoms, limit close contact if symptoms develop, and get checked out right away.”

Monkeypox typically spreads from person to person via direct contact with the rash or skin lesions. It can also occur via contact with body fluids, saliva, or contaminated items. Infections can begin with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes, followed by the development of a rash on the face and body, or in the groin area. Symptoms typically last for two to four weeks but can be serious for some, including children and people who are immunocompromised or pregnant.

Public health officials noted other contagious infections can also cause rashes or lesions, and it's important for residents who notice a new rash to seek out an evaluation from their health care providers.

“In the current outbreak, people have presented with skin lesions that may resemble common sexually transmitted infections such as herpes or syphilis. Some cases are more subtle and might be missed if people aren’t looking for them,” Duchin said.

While the majority of known cases have been among men who reported sexual relations with other men, officials note that spread is possible through physical contact among any people or groups.

“A person’s identity does not put them at risk for monkeypox,” officials wrote Wednesday. “A person’s risk is determined by their behavior and the people, or network of people, they come into physical contact with. Monkeypox is spread through close physical contact. The risk of monkeypox is not limited to people who are sexually active or men who have sex with men.”

Officials said the Jynneos vaccine has proven effective in preventing infections after exposure, and in making infections less severe, but nationwide distribution efforts are limited and prioritized to communities with the highest case counts. According to the CDC, California has the highest number of cases in the U.S., with 111 confirmed infections, followed by New York state at 96 confirmed infections. Still, King County expects to receive some vaccine doses from the state.

"King County has had relatively few cases compared with other jurisdictions," Public Health - Seattle & King County said. "Therefore, we are currently not prioritized to receive a large number of doses of vaccine. We are coordinating with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) who is in charge of vaccine allocation for the entire state. We will be receiving about 250 courses (500 doses) from DOH and are able to facilitate vaccination for high-risk contacts of people who test positive for monkeypox."

Read more on the Public Health Insider blog.