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DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESSDr. Henning Ansorg
Santa Barbara County continues to have no confirmed cases of monkeypox.
While two county residents were exposed to the monkeypox, they have been vaccinated against it, Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county public health officer, told the News-Press Wednesday.
He added that the disease is less alarming than COVID-19.
“There are two types of variants,” Dr. Ansorg explained. “They are endemic, and they remain in certain areas in central and west Africa. The global outbreak comes from west Africa and is less severe.
“There are only about 20,000 confirmed cases globally and less than a handful of confirmed deaths,” he said. “Severe illness is very rare. The rash is the most bothersome symptom.
“Lesions develop on the skin, which changes from a spot to a hard pimple, to a blister, which peels and scabs,” Dr. Ansorg said. “The lesions can, however, cause extreme discomfort depending on the location of the lesions. It takes time for the lesions to disappear, it takes time for lesions to scab up, and it takes time for new skin to grow. Once the new skin has grown, the disease is over.”
Dr. Ansorg also told the News-Press that there is an antiviral treatment available. The virus is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact or mucus membrane contact at the mouth or genital areas.
“Monkeypox is not nearly as scary as COVID,” Dr. Ansorg said. “It is possible but very rare for the virus to be transmitted through respiratory droplets. It would require very close face-to-face contact for a long period of time. Monkeypox is very low risk for people in the general population. It should not be alarming at all.”
Dr. Ansorg indicated that the concern rate for monkeypox should not be that high for the general population. “The risk mainly goes up with people who have multiple sexual partners.
“The disease is transmitted through intimate physical body contact,’ he said, but added monkeypox is not defined as a sexually transmited disease. “There is no confirmation that it is transmitted through semen. It can be any kind of physical contact. It doesn’t have to be sexual contact.”
While monkeypox is not an alarming development, anyone exposed to a confirmed case should call a doctor and get vaccinated, Dr. Ansorg said. “Those exposed should get the vaccine within two weeks unless the person who exposed you to has developed a rash. The vaccine is useless once infection has set in. The vaccine is not available for the general public.
“It is still relatively scarce. The vaccine is targeted for people who had contact with confirmed cases or those high-risk to come into contact with the virus,” he said.
“The best prevention is to talk to sexual partners about rashes, or unexplained illness,” Dr. Ansorg said. If you notice anything on your sexual partner, avoid sexual contact. Get tested if you have been exposed. Those who have developed the rash should isolate until the skin lesions have healed over.
“The advice given for monkeypox is the same advice given for herpes, chicken pox, shingles.”
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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