One and a half weeks since its first confirmed monkeypox case, has Whatcom seen more?
One and a half weeks since reporting its first confirmed case of monkeypox, the Whatcom County Health Department says no new cases have been identified within the county.
The Whatcom County resident who first tested positive for monkeypox on Aug. 2 has played a role in keeping that number at one, health department spokesperson Marie Duckworth told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
“Whatcom County’s first case of MPV (monkeypox) is a person who was proactive about their health and sought medical care,” Duckworth wrote. “This person has been really engaged in working with the health department, and that has really helped us in both providing care and in the contact investigation process.”
The county health department has been working with the Washington State Department of Health to get additional monkeypox vaccine doses as quickly as possible, Duckworth reported. It’s also been busy communicating with area healthcare providers “to make sure everyone is as prepared as they can be if another Whatcom County resident tests positive for the virus.”
As of Thursday, Aug. 11, the Department of Health reported 254 confirmed monkeypox cases in Washington state spread across 12 of the state’s 39 counties, while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 10,768 confirmed cases nationwide.
The monkeypox virus is a viral disease not commonly seen in the United States that can cause a rash that looks like bumps, sores, blisters or ulcers, according to a health department release Aug. 3 announcing the first confirmed case in the county. For most people, the risk of serious illness is low, the release states, and nobody within the United States had died from monkeypox virus during the current outbreak.
But, the release notes that monkeypox virus can be serious, especially for children and people who are immunocompromised or pregnant.
According to the health department, the virus spreads through close, physical contact with:
▪ Rashes, scabs or sores caused by monkeypox virus.
▪ Objects, fabrics or surfaces used by a person with monkeypox virus.
▪ Respiratory droplets or fluids from the mouth of a person with monkeypox virus.
Monkeypox virus can be spread by an infected person as soon as symptoms first show and last until all sores and a fresh layer of skin forms several weeks later, according to the release. It can also take up to three weeks for symptoms to first show after exposure, though most people will see symptoms within seven to 14 days.
If you or someone you know develops monkeypox virus symptoms, the health department recommends:
▪ Avoiding sexual or intimate contact.
▪ Working with the Whatcom County Health Department to reach out to possible contacts who may have been exposed and could be eligible to receive a vaccine to prevent illness.
▪ Speaking to your healthcare provider.
“If you do not have a primary care doctor, contact us (Whatcom County Health Department) and our public health nurses can help refer you to a medical provider,” Duckworth wrote, adding that the health department can be reached at 360-778-6100 or at CommunicableDisease@whatcomcounty.us.
The health department also has a new webpage about the virus, which will be updated as necessary, at whatcomcounty.us/MPV.
