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OHA Attempts Coordinated Response To Monkeypox Outbreak

SALEM, OR -- Health officials in Oregon are trying to coordinate their response to the spread of human Monkeypox - also called hMPXV. "In Oregon, there are one confirmed and five presumptive cases. The counties of those cases are Multnomah, Lane and Washington," says Oregon Health Authority’s Dr. Tim Menza. He's concerned there are more cases that have been misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, because symptoms can mimic other diseases. 

"hMPXV is transmitted during direct, close, personal, skin-to-skin contact with a person who has symptoms. In addition, contact with towels, clothing, bedding or other objects used by a person with hMPXV may also transmit the virus." Dr. Menza says it's also less commonly spread by large respiratory droplets. Incubation is six to 13 days.  Symptoms include a painful, itchy rash, fever, headache and muscle pain.

Dr. Menza says if untreated, an infected person will transmit the virus to an average of two other people, "In comparison, this same number for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is 8. Therefore, in relative terms, hMPXV is not very transmissible and will not spread like COVID-19. At the same time, its control requires a coordinated, thoughtful public health response."

Of the six Oregon cases, all are men and only one has a confirmed history of travel to an infected country. OHA is prioritizing messaging for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as testing and treatment, because the global outbreak has largely affected men who have sex with men. 

Oregon has 193 doses of vaccine and it can be given after a person gets the virus.  When the state receives more vaccine, OHA will start making it available to high risk groups.

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