Two cases of Mpox confirmed in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The City of El Paso's Department of Public Health (DPH) just confirmed two Mpox cases.
The two infected people are described as men in their 40s who live in the same house.
They are both recovering at home while public health officials conduct contact tracing and work with an epidemiology team to identify people who may need vaccinations.
Mpox is a viral infection that is spread through close, personal, often skin-to-skin contact. The virus can also be spread from animals to humans, City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza says.
Symptoms of Mpox include a distinctive painful, itchy rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, aches, and headache.
"A person is contagious from the time symptoms appear until the rash has fully healed and new skin has formed," officials with DPH explain. "The illness typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks."
To avoid contracting Mpox, officials recommend steering clear of skin-to-skin contact with people with a rash, refraining from touching objects handled by an infected person, and washing your hands frequently with soap and water.
"The City currently has approximately 200 vaccines available for individuals at-risk and those identified as close contacts of confirmed cases, with more vaccines being requested to meet the community’s needs," DPH officials say.
