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Springfield, Mo. (KY3) – There are currently 8,934 cases of monkeypox in the United States.
There are 15 in Missouri and 9 in Arkansas, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One case has been confirmed in Greene County. Officials with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department tell us they are investigating more potential cases.
“Nobody wants to get sick. If you ask me, you can survive it, for sure,” said Jason Norman-Hodges.
He said he was exposed to the virus while in Kansas City. Norman-Hodges said he immediately contacted the health department and was one of the first to get vaccinated in the area.
“I know it’s something that’s not wanted in the area so far,” he said.
Only five rabies vaccinations were administered in Greene County.
“The only people getting the vaccine now are people who have had close contact with confirmed cases of monkeypox,” said Nancy Yun, chief medical officer of the Department of Health.
“This is not a new disease. It’s mainly seen in Africa,” said Dr. Will Systenek, MD, Mercy Infectious Diseases.
He said this disease is not sexually transmitted or limited to a specific group of people.
“No matter what demographic you’re in, you can spread it to someone else. We are all at risk,” explained Dr. Sistenek.
The rash makes the disease highly contagious. However, Dr. Sistrunk says that there are other symptoms that occur before it occurs.
“Fever and fatigue, muscle aches, you can get sick just like any other viral infection. But what’s a little different from some viral infections is that you generally have swollen lymph nodes,” he explained.
The Department of Health is using similar methods to track the spread of the monkeypox virus as used with the Covid-19 virus.
“We will continue to use the same measures of case investigation and isolation. Just public education along with vaccination. Using all these tools are the strategies we need to limit the number of cases as much as possible,” Yun said.
Hospitals have also come up with plans to limit the spread of monkeypox.
“We now have a plan to use personal protective equipment for our colleagues if they think a patient may have monkeypox in a healthcare setting to prevent person-to-person transmission. Those are being put in place across the country,” said Dr. Systenek.
In order to prevent the disease, the local health authorities urged the public to gain awareness about the disease.
Yun said, “It’s important that people just know and not be afraid of this situation. But only to educate themselves as much as possible to protect their health and the health of their loved ones. “
Norman-Hodges says getting the monkeypox vaccine has given him peace of mind.
“After covid, if we are where we are, it is especially important now. We’ve all lived through a big, big pandemic, bigger than any of our lives. On the other hand, I am not ready to pass.
Click over here Visit the Springfield-Greene County Health Department page with facts and information about rabies.
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