Six cases of Monkeypox have been diagnosed in Bucks County. The news comes as the World Health Organization on July 23rd declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern. There also seems to be some misinformation surrounding the virus, with some thinking the virus is an STD/STI.
What is Monkeypox
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms but milder, and the virus is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
Anyone can get Monkeypox
Thinking Monkeypox is an STI/STD like chlamydia or gonorrhea could lead to can lead people to assume they can’t catch it as long as they don’t have sex with queer men. The idea that monkeypox only affects LGBTQ+ people is both inaccurate and dangerous.
The reality is, that the virus can spread with close contact of any kind, particularly including contact with an infected person’s lesions.
Monkeypox can spread to anyone through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact, including:
- Direct contact with monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids from a person with monkeypox.
- Touching objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that have been used by someone with the virus.
- Contact with respiratory secretions.
A person with the virus can spread it to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.
The current situation
And at the moment, the virus is concentrated: The WHO says that 99% of monkeypox cases in the U.S. are related to male-to-male sexual contact.
However, it’s important to remember that a virus will often hit a specific community before spreading to the rest of the population.
There is little evidence to suggest that monkeypox will stay confined to gay, bi, and queer men indefinitely. There is no guarantee that the virus won’t break out into the wider population.
Protect yourself
- 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.
- Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used.
- Do not share eating utensils or cups with a person with the virus.
- 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, especially before eating or touching your face and after you use the bathroom.
Please note – the Bucks County Department of Health does not have any monkeypox vaccine available for pre-exposure prophylaxis at this time.
If you think you may have Monkeypox
- Avoid sex or being intimate with anyone until you have been checked out by a healthcare provider.
- If you don’t have a provider or health insurance, visit a public health clinic near you.
- When you see a healthcare provider, wear a mask, and remind them that this virus is circulating in the area.
- Avoid gatherings, especially if they involve close, personal, skin-to-skin contact.
Think about the people you may have had close, personal, or sexual contact with during the last 21 days, including people you met through dating apps. To help stop the spread, you might be asked to share this information if you have received a monkeypox diagnosis.
For more information on protecting yourself and those around you, including information on safer sex please visit the CDC Monkeypox prevention page.