Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Erie County records its first case of monkeypox. The health department says there is a low risk to the public, as the patient is isolated.
The Erie County Health Department's Office of Epidemiology is now conducting contact tracing to determine if any additional residents have been exposed to the virus.
Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein says Monkeypox is primarily spread by close contact and exposure to an infected person's skin lesions, other bodily fluids or respiratory droplets. "While many of those affected in the current global outbreaks are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, the virus does not know its host's sexual orientation. Anyone in close skin to skin contact with someone who has monkeypox can get the illness," she explains. Burstein says anyone who develops a new, unexplained rash on any part of the body should seek medical attention immediately and avoid contact with others. "Unlike respiratory viruses that spread through exposure to infected respiratory aerosols or droplets, the general public is not at risk of exposure through usual everyday activities," notes Burstein.
The ECDOH Division of Emergency Medical Services is coordinating with the New York State Department of Health to vaccinate high- and intermediate-risk close contacts of the confirmed case. Members of the general public who were not a close contact of a confirmed case will not be provided a vaccine at this time.
