DALLAS COUNTY, Texas – Dallas County health officials say they are investigating a monkeypox case involving a resident who traveled internationally in the past month to a country with reported cases.
The test resulted positive at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab in Atlanta on Monday.
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Health officials said they have identified people who have been in direct contact with the patient who tested positive for monkeypox and are monitoring them for symptoms.
Dallas County Health and Human Services said the CDC is working with the airline the passenger was on and local health officials to contact passengers who may have been in contact with the patient on a flight from Mexico to Dallas.
Health officials said the patient is in isolation and recovering at home.
“We have determined that there is little known risk to the general public at this time,” said DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang in a written statement. “However, monkeypox cases have been spreading globally, and we are actively working with local healthcare providers to ensure they are prepared to recognize monkeypox and report suspected cases to public health officials.”
The virus spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infected sores, scabs and body fluids, DCHHS officials said. It can also spread through respiratory secretions and intimate contact.
Monkeypox may cause fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes, as well as other complications.
Learn more about the symptoms of monkeypox from the CDC.
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