BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — The first four cases of monkeypox have been reported in Boulder County, the county public health department said.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has reported a total of 91 cases for the state as of Aug. 8.
“It’s important that everyone be aware of this disease, so that those at risk can seek medical care and get tested promptly if they believe they have been exposed or have symptoms,” Dr. Lexi Nolen, acting executive director at Boulder County Public Health said.
Monkeypox can spread by close contact with someone infected. It can spread via physical contact with sores, bumps or lesions and includes sexual contact. It can also be spread through contact with bed sheets or clothing of someone who has monkeypox and can live on other surfaces for some time.
Symptoms and vaccines
If you get infected with monkeypox, it can feel like the flu at first. Early symptoms can include:
- fever
- headache
- muscle aches
- swollen lymph nodes
- exhaustion
Most people get a rash or skin bumps one to three days after they first start feeling sick and some people don’t feel any symptoms prior to seeing a rash.
Health officials said the virus has less than a 1% fatality rate and will usually run its course without specific treatment after two to four weeks.
The monkeypox vaccine is available in the state of Colorado with Governor Polis recently ordering an additional 5,080 doses. The Polis administration recently said that the state-run clinics are fully booked, but more will be scheduled pending the vaccine’s availability.