22-008
Risk of Monkeypox Low, but Public Awareness Encouraged
June 24, 2022 (Anchorage) – Today, the Anchorage Health Department issued a health bulletin detailing how travelers to regions impacted by monkeypox can reduce their risk profile. Monkeypox is considered a serious, but generally not life-threatening illness. There are currently no cases in Alaska, and the risk level in the U.S. remains low.
“Monkeypox is not a new disease, but it's always smart for Anchorage residents to stay up-to-date on any global viral outbreak," said Anchorage Health Department Epidemiologist Reva Katz. “As a precaution, we're advising medical providers to brush up on their identification skills and asking the public to take some simple precautions when traveling to areas where transmission is occurring."
The monkeypox virus was first discovered in 1958 and is spread by droplets, skin-to-skin contact with bodily fluids or the sores or scabs of someone who has monkeypox, or by direct contact with clothing or linen that has touched these materials. Face-to-face contact is typically required for droplet transmission as the virus is not known to remain airborne.
The following steps can help lower the risk of contagion:
- Be aware of areas where monkeypox is active when traveling. Check the current global map of countries with monkeypox and the current map of U.S. cases when making travel plans.
- Avoid contact with animals that are sick or that have been found dead in areas where monkeypox occurs.
- Avoid contact with any materials, such as linen or bedding, that have been in contact with a person or animal with monkeypox.
- Practice good hand hygiene after contact with infected animals or humans. For example, washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and then washing your hands when able.
- Notify your medical provider after close contact with a person or animal who has monkeypox, if you develop symptoms after traveling in an area where cases have been identified, or you notice an unexplained rash or lesion.
Read the full bulletin at https://www.muni.org/Departments/health/Pages/monkeypox.aspx
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Media contact: Tyler Sachtleben, AHD PIO, tyler.sachtleben@anchorageak.gov, 907-343-4670