No confirmed cases of monkeypox in SC after people monitored in Midlands cleared by DHEC
Two people in South Carolina were cleared Wednesday after being monitored by health officials because they had close contact with a person who tested positive for monkeypox, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The people who were watched were on the same flight as a person confirmed to have monkeypox in the United Kingdom, a DHEC spokesperson said Wednesday in a message to The State.
DHEC ended its monitoring of the two people, saying neither have shown any symptoms and there have been no confirmed cases of monkeypox in South Carolina.
The people were being observed in the Midlands and remained asymptomatic through a 21-day monitoring period, which began May 5 and ended Wednesday at noon, according to DHEC.
DHEC said it followed monitoring protocols released last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a rash on the face and body, according to DHEC. Most infections last two to four weeks.
Cases of monkeypox have previously been identified in travelers from, or residents of, West African or Central African countries where monkeypox is considered to be endemic, the CDC said in a health advisory. Since May 14, 2022, clusters of monkeypox cases have been reported in several countries that don’t normally have monkeypox, including at least nine cases in the United Kingdom.
On May 17, there was a confirmed case of monkeypox on a Massachusetts resident. The patient is currently isolated and does not pose a risk to the public, according to the CDC.
The monkeypox cases so far have been mild, with no deaths reported, according to the Associated Press. In recent years, the illness has been fatal in up to 6% of infections.
Monkeypox does not spread easily between people, health officials said. It can be spread through close contact with an infected person and their skin sores, items that have been contaminated with fluids or sores (clothing, bedding, etc.), or through respiratory droplets. following prolonged face-to-face contact, according to DHEC.
Dr. David Heymann, who formerly headed WHO’s emergencies department, told the AP the disease is unlikely to trigger widespread transmission.
“This is not COVID,” Heymann said. “We need to slow it down, but it does not spread in the air and we have vaccines to protect against it.”
Vaccines against smallpox, a related disease, are effective in preventing monkeypox, according to the AP. But there is no “proven, safe treatment” for the virus, according to the CDC.
Febrile rash illnesses, which would include monkeypox, are reportable conditions in South Carolina, according to DHEC.
“Providers should report a suspected case to DHEC, which will investigate and conduct testing if indicated to confirm or rule out a case,” the release said. “Residents who believe they are experiencing symptoms should visit their primary care provider.”
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This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 8:28 AM with the headline "No confirmed cases of monkeypox in SC after people monitored in Midlands cleared by DHEC."
