CDC via AP
This 1997 image provided by the CDC during an investigation into an outbreak of monkeypox, which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire, and depicts the dorsal surfaces of the hands of a monkeypox case patient, who was displaying the appearance of the characteristic rash during its recuperative stage.
Published Wednesday, June 15, 2022 | 11:40 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, June 15, 2022 | 2:43 p.m.
The first presumptive case of monkeypox in Clark County was reported today, the Southern Nevada Health District said.
The Health District said it was coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on testing to confirm the case after a man in his 20s with recent domestic travel history likely came down with the disease.
The man did not require hospitalization and was isolating at home, health officials said. They did not release further information about the man, citing patient confidentiality.
Kimberly Franich, a communicable disease manager for the Health District, said the agency is conducting contact tracing, and no additional cases have been identified. While overall risk to the community is low, it is important to make the community aware, she said.
Unlike COVID-19, which spreads primarily through the air, monkeypox spreads through skin-to-skin contact with infectious lesions or by objects and fabrics used by an infected person. Close intimate contact can also spread the disease, Franich said.
“The primary route of transmission is what the major difference is here,” Franich said.
Monkeypox causes symptoms that begin with a fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes followed by a rash and sores, the Health District said. The rash typically begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body, including the genitalia, the Health District said.
The incubation period averages between seven and 14 days, but can range from five to 21 days, officials said.
The illness usually lasts two to four weeks, the Health District said. Most people who contract monkeypox will have mild illness, but those who are immunocompromised, young children, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or those with certain skin conditions may be more at risk for severe illness, the Health District said.
Anyone who tests positive for monkeypox should follow the treatment recommendations of their doctor and consult the Health District, the agency said.
People with unknown rashes or lesions should contact their doctor and avoid intimate contact, health officials said.
“Kissing, intimate contact can be a route for transmission,” Franich said. “But also, just skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a lesion can lead to transmission.”
Those at risk for monkeypox include people who have recently traveled to other countries or had close contact with someone with monkeypox, the Health District said.
Recommendations for those who may have been exposed to the virus are available on the CDC website.
The United States had 83 confirmed cases of monkeypox as of today, according to CDC data. Recent outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Portugal and France have been driving cases globally, accounting for 1,466 of 2,027 cases worldwide.
Because Las Vegas is such a popular tourist destination, it is possible more monkeypox cases could pop up in Clark County, Franich said.
“We are seeing this national outbreak spread from state to state and numbers increasing as the CDC monitors this on a national level,” Franich said.
