KY’s monkeypox case count climbs to 6 with an additional detection in southern county

Aaron Mudd

There are now at least six cases of monkeypox in Kentucky, the latest of which was reported in Warren County Wednesday in an announcement from the local health department.

Monkeypox is a rare disease triggered by infection by the monkeypox virus. According to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, the monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox.

Monkeypox symptoms are similar to those smallpox exhibits. That said, monkeypox is milder and rarely fatal.

Of the more than 18,000 monkeypox cases reported across 78 countries worldwide during this outbreak, but there have been only five deaths to date, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. Ten percent of cases require hospital admission.

The monkeypox virus is not related to chickenpox.

How many cases of monkeypox are there in Kentucky?

Six cases have been reported as of Thursday.

The latest probable case made local news Wednesday in Warren County when the Barren River District Health Department announced an initial positive test and preliminary investigation led local health officials to conclude they’d discovered the first case in the region.

The patient’s test results have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation, according to WKU Public Radio.

KY has 3 confirmed cases of monkeypox. What to know about symptoms, threat level

The health department didn’t release any further information on the patient, citing privacy concerns, but the individual was identified as a Warren County male in his thirties by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

According to WKU Public Radio, the cabinet also said five other cases of monkeypox have been reported in Kentucky, all of which involved men in Jefferson County.

Nationwide, there were about 4,600 cases of monkeypox as of Thursday, according to the CDC’s tracker.

What are the symptoms?

According to the CDC, symptoms of monkeypox can include:

  • Fever

  • Headache

  • Muscle aches and backache

  • Swollen lymph nodes

  • Chills

  • Exhaustion

  • Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion or cough)

  • A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus

The rash goes through different stages before healing completely. The illness typically lasts two to four weeks. Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.

How does monkeypox spread?

Per the CDC, monkeypox spreads in different ways.

The virus can spread from person-to-person through:

  • Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs or body fluids

  • Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex

  • Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids

  • Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.

It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by preparing or eating meat or using products from an infected animal.

Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.

The illness typically lasts two to four weeks. People who do not have symptoms cannot spread the virus to others.

At this time, it is not known if monkeypox can spread through semen or vaginal fluids, according to the CDC.

Is monkeypox curable?

There are no treatments specifically for monkeypox infections. That said, the monkeypox and smallpox viruses are genetically similar. This means that the antiviral drugs vaccines developed to protect against smallpox may be used to prevent and treat monkeypox virus infections.

The CDC advises taking the following steps:

  • Avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox

  • Do not touch the rash or scabs of a person with monkeypox

  • Do not kiss, hug, cuddle or have sex with someone with monkeypox

  • Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with monkeypox

  • Do not handle or touch the bedding, towels, or clothing of a person with monkeypox

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer

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