Pima County reported its first probable monkeypox case, county health department Director Theresa Cullen said at a press conference Tuesday morning.
The case was identified in “an individual less than 40 years old,” Cullen said, and is isolating while working with the health department’s epidemiological staff.
The monkeypox virus primarily spreads through skin-to-skin contact, but Cullen said “there is a very slight chance” the virus can spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact.
Monkeypox can be transmitted during sexual contact, but most cases have likely been caused by skin-to-skin contact, Cullen said.
Early indications of the virus typically start with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion. Rashes and sores also appear and progress through stages that cause pus-filled blisters and form scabs.
For some, the rash may precede flu-like symptoms, and not all those who contract the virus will experience flu-like symptoms. The infection period typically lasts two to four weeks, and transmissibility lasts until all sores have healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.
Cullen said Tuesday that Pima County anticipates its first shipment of 100 monkeypox vaccines by July 14. The vaccine is a two-dose series, and the supply is “very limited,” she said. The county will soon set up a website to enroll for the vaccine when the supply becomes available.
The health department will prioritize vaccines for “people that are known to have been exposed or believe they're very high risk for exposure,” Cullen said.
Pima, Maricopa and Coconino counties will become “hubs” for the vaccine distribution, she said. Vaccination is ideal within four days after contact with the virus.
“I think we are always concerned when there is a new infectious disease in the community,” Cullen said. “However, in the United States up until now there have been no fatalities. No one has died due to monkeypox. A few people have been admitted to the hospital. They are admitted primarily because of the side effect of the pox,” such as secondary skin infections from lesions.
Cullen said those who have been in close contact with someone who contracted monkeypox should reach out to their primary care doctor. Sores should be covered, and the infected person and close contacts should wear masks.
“We do have a robust epidemiological response available, really a lot due to what we learned through COVID. We are working closely with the state and the CDC,” Cullen said. “However, the odds of an individual in the community getting monkeypox without having direct contact with an individual that had monkeypox are miniscule. And I do not want people to be worried about that.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking an outbreak of monkeypox the CDC said is spreading in countries that don’t normally report the virus, including the United States.
Arizona reported its first probable monkeypox case June 7, and there are three confirmed cases across the state, according to the CDC. The virus is called monkeypox because it was first identified in laboratory monkeys in 1958. The first human case of monkeypox was reported in 1970, but the source of the disease remains unknown.
For more information on monkeypox, visit: Pima.gov/monkeypox
BA.5 COVID variant dominant in Pima County
Cullen said the county is in a stage of “accelerated transmission” for COVID-19, and the vast majority of cases are from the BA.5 variant.
The BA.5 and BA.4 variants are estimated to make up 80% of COVID-19 variants circulating throughout the country, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday. Pima County is currently is a state of “medium” transmission, CDC data show.
While those who contracted the omicron variant showed a subsiding of respiratory symptoms, BA.5 is causing a resurgence of the respiratory ailments, Cullen said. She recommends vaccination and masking in indoor public places.
Cullen said she is seeing a prominence of “COVID fatigue” and “this inappropriate belief that if I am positive, I can still go and do what I want to do,” causing accelerated spread of COVID-19.
The county has a test-to-treat program where those who test positive for the virus will be evaluated by a health care provider to assess their eligibility for a prescription for oral medications — Paxlovid and Lagevrio — that can help fight the virus when started within five days after symptoms start.
For more information on where to get tested for COVID-19 in Pima County, go to pima.gov/covid19testing. For more information on COVID-19 treatment, go to pima.gov/covid19treatment.
The case was identified in an individual less than 40 years old who is isolating while working with the health department’s epidemiological staff.
