As WHO declares emergency, how many cases of monkeypox are in Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth?

On Saturday, the World Health Organization chief declared that the expanding monkeypox outbreak in more than 70 countries is an “extraordinary” situation that qualifies as a global emergency.

As of Friday, there were 2,891 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 107 cases have been confirmed in Texas, according to a CDC map updated Friday. The Texas Department of State Health Services put the number at 110, with the North Texas area reporting the most cases of any region in the state.

As of Friday, 10 cases had been reported in Tarrant County, according to Tarrant County Public Health.

Dallas County has confirmed 52 cases as of Wednesday, according to that county’s health department.

Denton County reported its fourth case of the virus on Friday.

Monkeypox, classified as a rare disease by the CDC, is a variant of the same virus that causes smallpox. It doesn’t spread easily between people without close, skin-to-skin contact.

It can spread through contact with sores, body fluids or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox. The virus can also spread between people through respiratory droplets, typically in a close setting such as people living in the same household or in a healthcare setting..

This infection presents symptoms including a rash, lesions, swollen lymph nodes, fever and scabbing, according to the CDC.

Severity of the infection depends on the health of the person prior to exposure, the strain of the virus and the way in which they were infected. Incubation is typically seven to 14 days and the infection typically lasts two to three weeks.

It can, in some cases, be fatal, although no deaths have been reported in the U.S.

A global emergency is WHO’s highest level of alert but the designation does not necessarily mean a disease is particularly transmissible or lethal, the Associated Press reported.

There is a vaccine for monkeypox, but its availability is limited and demand in Texas is outpacing the supply, the Texas Tribune reported.