The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) reported that Alabama has had at least 139 cases of monkeypox as of October 4. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently noted that severe manifestations of monkeypox have been seen in the current outbreak in the United States.
The disease is normally found in central and western Africa but jumped continents and has now gone global.
While anyone can be infected with the contagious rash illness, male-to-male sexual contact has been a major risk factor. Avoiding intimate sexual contact with gay males or persons who engage in sex with gay males is a sensible precaution at this time. Persons who are immunocompromised with conditions like AIDS or HIV are particularly vulnerable to severe cases of monkeypox and should be particularly careful.
Monkeypox is usually transmitted through close, intimate, skin-to-skin contact or through broken skin, respiratory droplets, or mucous membranes. Monkeypox causes a rash that starts as flat spots, which then becomes raised, develops into vesicles, and finally appears pustular. In this outbreak, some people have only had a rash, but other symptoms, such as fever, chills, enlarged lymph nodes, muscle aches, and headaches can occur with the rash. Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms begin until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. This can take between two and four weeks. Contact with the bedding, clothing, or towels of someone with a monkeypox infection can also spread the disease.
Individuals with any symptoms of monkeypox should discuss their symptoms with their healthcare provider. There are diagnostic and clinical management strategies that may help address the painful symptoms.
ADPH continues to provide guidance and resources to educate, test, treat and prevent this illness. Not all cases of monkeypox require treatment, but people with this diagnosis need to isolate and follow infection control measures to reduce transmission of the virus to other people.
There is a vaccine available. Persons who have had direct contact with individuals with the illness may benefit from the vaccine if given within 4 to 14 days of contact. A two-dose vaccination series is available for those persons with the highest risk.
Monkeypox testing continues to be offered at county health departments, and clinical testing is available through the ADPH Bureau of Clinical Laboratories at no charge to the patient. Some commercial and clinical laboratories also test for monkeypox.
ADPH promotes the use of the Jynneos vaccine. Only some selected county health departments in Alabama have the Jynneos vaccine in stock, but all local county health departments can provide information about appointments and administer vaccines if people cannot travel to the selected counties. The supply of Jynneoos is limited. There is also another older vaccine, Acam2000. According to ADPH, there is no data available on the effectiveness of the vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is collecting data on the monkeypox vaccines.
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