Dallas County confirms two more monkeypox infections, bringing total to 3

Dallas County has confirmed two more cases of monkeypox among its residents, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to three after the first infection was announced on June 7, according to the county’s health and human services.

As with the first case, Dallas County Health and Human Services said in a news release the second and third cases resulted from international travel. The patients recently traveled to Spain and Mexico, the department said.

Preliminary positive test results for the two people were received on Tuesday and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The patients have not been hospitalized but are isolating at home and do not pose a known risk to anyone else right now.

Dallas County Health and Human Services and the CDC are reaching out to people who may have had had contact with the infected individuals, including people who were on flights, including transfers, and are monitoring them for symptoms of infection, according to the release.

There is little risk to the public as of now, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Philip Huang.

“However, monkeypox cases have been spreading globally, and we are actively working with local healthcare providers to ensure they are prepared to recognize monkeypox and report suspected cases to public health officials,” Huang said in the release.

Monkeypox, classified as a rare disease by the CDC, is a variant of the same virus that causes smallpox. The CDC said it is currently keeping up with multiple cases of the virus from countries that don’t usually report infections, including the United States.

There have been more than 150 confirmed cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.

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.

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