EL PASO COUNTY — The first case of monkeypox has been identified in El Paso County, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is completing the contact tracing in this case and those who are considered high-risk will be vaccinated.
There have been 36 cases in Colorado. According to CDPHE, most cases resolve on their own within four weeks and has a fatality rate of less than one percent.
The department says vaccinations administered four days from exposure can help prevent illness and vaccinations between four and 14 days of exposure can help prevent severe illness.
Monkeypox may begin with flu-like symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and exhaustion.
A rash or skin bumps can develop within one to three days after the onset of fever. This primarily begins on the face and later spreads to other parts of the body. The rash can appear as syphilis, herpes, blisters or even acne.
Monkeypox is known to spread through close contact, including sexual contact, with someone who has the virus. Brief interactions without physical contact are not likely to result in transmission.
Those who believe they have been in contact with someone who has Monkeypox in the last 14 days are eligible for the vaccine.
Those eligible for the vaccine include men 18-year-old or older who are gay, bisexual, or who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days.
To learn more about Monkeypox and for more information, visit CDPHE’s website.
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