Washoe reports two more cases of monkeypox

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) -As the country prepares to confront the spread of monkeypox as a National Health Emergency local health officials say two more cases have been detected in the Reno area.

The two cases are both men, one in his 30s, and one in his 40s. Little else is known about them or the 20-year-old previously reported as the county’s first, other than they have had no known contact with each other. The first man had traveled recently. The newest cases had not.

The disease which causes fever and large, painful blisters has shown up primarily in the gay and bi-sexual male population, but during a virtual town hall today, local health officials were quick to point out it could be a threat to others.

“There is a potential for monkeypox to spread to other people in other sexual contact or just skin-to-skin contact,” said Jennifer Howell, the Washoe Health District’s Sexual Health Program Coordinator.

There have been only a handful of cases among American children. “But if they do contract the disease they have a higher risk of more severe symptoms,” said Nancy Diao, the Director of Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness,

Many of the questions today concern vaccines. The good news is the smallpox vaccine is effective. That doesn’t mean the one you got when you were young is still effective. It lasts about six years.

But the real bad news is that there is a national shortage and only enough for about 150 people in Washoe County. For the moment those doses will be reserved for those who came into contact with positive cases and lab workers handling specimens.

Southern Nevada received many more doses. It seems the allocation is based currently on the number of positive HIV cases and their rate is about 10 times ours

The health district has more information on its website.

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