Dallas County health officials report first case of monkeypox in North Texas for 2022

DALLAS - Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting its first case of monkeypox in North Texas and in the state of Texas.

Health officials says a Dallas County resident recently traveled out of the country where monkeypox cases have been reported. Test results on Monday were positive for the virus.

DCHHS says the patient hasn’t been hospitalized, is isolated and recovering at home and does not pose a known risk to others at this time. No other information was released about the patient, citing privacy laws.

What remains unclear is if the strain of monkeypox this person caught is the same one responsible for most of the 1,000 sand worldwide cases of the rare disease.

The outbreak started in Europe and has since spread to nearly 30 countries, including the U.S.

Health officials have identified people who have had direct contact with the patient and are monitoring them for symptoms.

The CDC is also working with the airline and state and local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient on a flight from Mexico to Dallas.

"We have been working closely with the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services and have conducted interviews with the patient and close contacts," said DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang.  "We have determined that there is little known risk to the general public at this time. However, monkeypox cases have been spreading globally, and we are actively working with local healthcare providers to ensure they are prepared to recognize monkeypox and report suspected cases to public health officials."

Doctors say there’s little cause for concern. 

"It's not as easily spread like COVID," Dr. Huang said.

Monkeypox: What you should know as the disease spreads around the world

Monkeypox spreads between people through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs or body fluids. It also can be spread during prolonged, face-to-face contact. 

The virus has started to spread throughout the U.S with more than 35 cases across 15 states.

It's unclear how the Dallas County patient contracted the virus, and it’s unclear if the man has the same strain fueling the multi-country outbreak.

Dallas County health officials identified people who have been in direct contact with this person, and they’re also looking for anyone on a recent flight from Mexico to Dallas. Details about the flight weren’t immediately available. 

"It's not like anyone who flew on that flight from Mexico needs to worry," Dr. Huang said. "We're in contact with persons who may have been had close contact with the individual."

Most of the cases from the European outbreak and most of the cases in the U.S. have involved men who have sex with other men. 

But anyone who has had prolonged contact with an infected person is at risk.The CDC says some people got infected because they live with an infected person.

"It’s not something that is attributable to contact with an infected animal or travel to an endemic region, but it's something that's spreading through social networks," explained Dr. Amesh Adalja. "And because it lacks some of those prior epidemiological characteristics, we may miss cases that may have the opportunity to spread. And that's likely going to cause more cases to be found in the coming days and weeks." 

Unlike COVID, it doesn’t really spread until people have symptoms, and some of those symptoms are very obvious.

"It starts out similarly to like sort of nonspecific flu-like symptoms. And then maybe one to three days after the appearance of the fever, you start to get the rash," Dr. Adalja said. "The rash starts out as a flat rash, then becomes raised and becomes then sort of fluid-filled and then pus-filled sacs or pox type things."

Rising COVID Concerns

New COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise in Texas and other parts of the country.

"It's concerning that cases in the west and in the south are still rising. Hospitalizations nationally are still rising," explained Dr. Tom Inglesby, former senior advisor to the White House COVID-19 Response Team.

Inglesby says some 256 people are dying from COVID-19 every day nationwide, making COVID the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S. 

"It's also a big concern that one-third of the country is not fully vaccinated and only one-third of the country has had a booster shot," he said.

There is also growing concern about the steady surge in COVID cases. Texas is now averaging 6,200 new cases per day.

What's concerning to doctors is that both monkeypox and COVID are spread through close, personal contact, and many Americans plan to travel this summer.

Dr. Mark Casanova with the Texas Medical Society COVID-19 Taskforce says it’s important to get fully vaccinated. And for those who are immunocompromised and fully vaccinated, he offers this recommendation.

"And if it's been five months since your last COVID-19 vaccine, you should get boosted," he said.

And when it comes to monkeypox, Dr. Casanova says it’s important for anyone with viral symptoms, including a rash, to get tested for the virus. He says there's a simple precaution people can take to minimize their risk of both monkeypox and COVID.

"The recommendation would be that individuals pick those masks back up," he said.

Dallas County Health and Human Services is reporting the first case of monkeypox in North Texas and in the state of Texas this year.

Health officials say a Dallas County resident recently traveled out of the country where monkeypox cases have been reported. Test results on Monday were positive for the virus.

DCHHS says the patient hasn’t been hospitalized, is isolated and recovering at home and does not pose a known risk to others at this time. No other information was released about the patient, citing privacy laws.

Health officials have identified people who have had direct contact with the patient and are monitoring them for symptoms.

The CDC is also working with the airline and state and local health officials to contact airline passengers and others who may have been in contact with the patient on a flight from Mexico to Dallas.

"We have been working closely with the CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services and have conducted interviews with the patient and close contacts," said DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang.  "We have determined that there is little known risk to the general public at this time. However, monkeypox cases have been spreading globally, and we are actively working with local healthcare providers to ensure they are prepared to recognize monkeypox and report suspected cases to public health officials."

Monkeypox: What you should know as the disease spreads around the world

Monkeypox spreads between people through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs or body fluids. It also can be spread during prolonged, face-to-face contact. 

The virus has started to spread throughout the U.S with more than 32 cases across 14 states.

Dr. Mark Casanova with the Texas Medical Society COVID-19 Taskforce says it’s important for anyone with viral symptoms, including a rash, to get tested for the virus. He says there's a simple precaution people can take to minimize their risk of both monkeypox and COVID.

"The recommendation would be that individuals pick those masks back up," he said.