On August 3, 2022, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health sent Health Advisory #202 to health care providers, hospitals and other health care facilities in the state. Local health departments passed it on to providers in their area.
The advisory said the CDC had tracked monkeypox cases in the US and other countries since late May 2022. As of August 2, 2022, the US had 6,326 confirmed or probable cases. As of August 3, 2022, West Virginia had reported 3 confirmed or probable cases.
Signs and spread
- Symptoms could start with a flu-like illness and then a rash. In this outbreak, many cases started with the rash, and some people had only the rash.
- The rash could look like pimples or blisters, often in the mouth or the genital or anal area. It could spread to the face, chest, arms or legs. Sores went through stages and usually lasted 2 to 4 weeks.
- The pain could be severe.
- The virus spread mostly by direct contact with the rash, scabs or body fluids. It could also spread by face-to-face breath droplets, intimate contact, or contaminated clothing or bed linens.
- Anyone could catch monkeypox. At that time, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men were the groups most affected.
Testing and reporting
Providers had to report each suspected case to the local health department at once. The state public health lab tested free for anyone who met the suspected case definition, after a talk with the local health department and the state epidemiology office. Commercial labs had also started to test for the virus.
Treatment and vaccine
No treatment was approved for monkeypox itself. Under a CDC protocol, providers could get the antiviral TPOXX (tecovirimat) from the national stockpile for patients who met CDC criteria.
Close contacts of a case were watched for symptoms for 21 days after their last exposure, and checked their temperature twice a day. Contacts could get a vaccine through the local health department. The advisory said a vaccine given within 4 days of exposure gave the best chance to prevent the disease. A vaccine given 4 to 14 days after exposure could make symptoms milder.
See also Monkeypox: what to know and Health Advisory #205.
This guidance is from August 2022. The disease is now called mpox. It is kept here as a record and is not current advice. Check current guidance from the CDC or your doctor.