Virginia health officials are warning of an increase in cases starting in early 2024 in hopes of raising awareness and curbing the spread of mpox.
Virginia health officials are warning of an increase in cases starting in early 2024 in hopes of raising awareness and curbing the spread of mpox.
Brandi Darby, Director of Surveillance and Investigations for the Virginia Department of Health, said the state has reported 12 cases so far this year, the same number it reported in all of 2023. .
Darby said this year’s cases are spread across the state, with many of the cases reported last year concentrated around Northern Virginia.
Cases have been “actually trending down” since 2022, when Virginia reported more than 40 cases each week, Darby said. But as the number of infections begins to rise again, health officials are reminding the public to take steps to ensure vaccine availability and safety.
“From a layperson’s perspective, when you don’t hear much about incidents, you think the risk is gone,” Darby said. “We knew the virus was still transmitting because cases like this were occurring occasionally. And in recent weeks, we’ve seen an increasing trend.”
Although infections of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, are occurring in cities across the United States and many people don’t care about the virus, “the virus is still here. It’s contagious,” Darby said.
Symptoms of mpox include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a new, painful rash. Derby said the disease usually resembles the flu when symptoms start, but then lesions appear on the skin.
“These lesions can be very painful and can take several weeks to heal, after which new skin forms underneath,” Darby said.
Many of the people infected with mpox during the current outbreak are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, according to a news release from the department. But Darby warns that anyone can become infected.
Although less common, Darby said mpox can be spread through contaminated items.
“Anyone can get infected with mpox,” Darby said. “And we confirmed that in our latest case.”
Darby said people who are at risk of exposure to mpox or who have had close contact with someone infected with mpox should consider getting vaccinated. This is a 2 part series. It is available for free.
“Thankfully, we are in a situation where we have a safe and effective vaccine for this virus,” Darby said.
For more information about mpox, please visit: Virginia Department of Health Website.
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