Metro Public Health Department officials confirm a total of four presumptive cases of monkeypox reported in Nashville/Davidson County in 2022. The total number has grown by three in the past week. No Davidson County cases have been hospitalized.
Laboratory testing can detect the presence of an orthopoxvirus infection. Confirmatory testing is conducted by the CDC.
The MPHD Case Investigation Team works to identify and reach out to all potential contacts of each case. Contacts are interviewed and their appropriate form of potential treatment is determined.
According to the CDC, monkeypox is a rare disease in the same family of viruses as smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder; and monkeypox is rarely fatal. The CDC states that the monkeypox virus can spread from person-to-person through:
- direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
- respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact
- touching items like clothing or linens that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
Although infection may begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion before the development of rash, many of the cases associated with the 2022 outbreak have reported very mild or no symptoms other than rash. People should be alert for the appearance of new rashes characterized by sores, bumps or fluid filled bumps and contact their primary care provider if they have questions.
The CDC reports that monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed. Most people recover in 2-4 weeks, but the disease can be serious in rare instances, especially for immunocompromised people, children, and those who are pregnant. People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others. Contacts are monitored for several weeks, as it can take as many as 21 days after exposure for symptoms to develop.