Dallas County Health and Human Services have identified a case of Monkeypox not tied to international travel. This is the fifth case of the virus in Dallas County. In the four previous cases, the patients had recently been overseas.
The patient in the most recent case was visiting Dallas from another state within the U.S. The patient began experiencing symptoms and went to a local hospital, where the Monkeypox diagnosis was confirmed by lab tests.
Health officials said the person was in Dallas to attend the Daddyland Festival. That's a music and dance festival marketed toward gay men. It includes a variety of events taking place over several days, including dance parties and pool parties. Dallas County Health and Human Services said that given the size of the festival, people who attended those events could have been exposed to the Monkeypox virus.
They're concerned about the possibility of the virus spreading locally. They said anyone at the events who participated in activities that pose a high risk for Monkeypox transmission should be on the lookout for symptoms. Those symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, general body aches, and a rash. The virus can be spread through contact with body fluids or through shared items that have been contaminated with fluids. The virus can also spread through respiratory droplets if people are in close contact.
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