The Barton County Health Department announced Friday it has identified a presumptive positive case of monkeypox in Barton County and is working closely with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).

To protect the individual’s privacy, no additional information will be shared at this time. 

The patient is working with KDHE to identify contacts who may have been exposed.

Monkeypox case numbers are updated weekly on Wednesdays. As of Oct. 12, there were 23 cases of monkeypox in Kansas and the risk of monkeypox spreading in Kansas remains low at this time.

Symptoms

In typical cases, a person may experience symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion followed by the appearance of a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that may appear on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body like hands, feet, chest, or genitals. 

However, it is important to note that not all cases will show symptoms before the onset of a rash.

KDHE strongly recommends anyone experiencing symptoms of a monkeypox-like rash with other risk factors contact their health-care provider as soon as possible. Risk factors for monkeypox infection include the following scenarios within 21 days of first symptom onset:  

• Contact with a person or people with a similar appearing rash or who received a diagnosis of confirmed or probable monkeypox, OR 

• Close or intimate in-person contact with individuals in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity including meeting partners through an online website, digital app or social event, OR 

• Recent travel outside the U.S. to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where Monkeypox virus is endemic, OR 

• Contact with a dead or live wild animal or exotic pet that is an African endemic species or used a product derived from such animals (game meat, creams, lotions, powders, etc.) 

If you suspect that you have been exposed to monkeypox or are exhibiting monkeypox-like symptoms, contact a health care provider.

Vaccine

The monkeypox vaccine is available to those with a known exposure to a confirmed monkeypox case; KDHE has expanded eligibility to the vaccine and doses are available. 

The KDHE Phone Bank is available to assist in answering general questions about monkeypox. Individuals can call 1-866-KDHEINF (534-3463) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or can email their questions to monkeypox@ks.gov. 

About monkeypox 

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus spreads between people primarily through direct contact with infectious lesions, scabs, body fluids, or by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact. The virus can also spread through direct contact with materials that have touched body fluids or lesions, such as clothing or linens. However, standard cleaning practices and laundering reduces spread through these materials. Individuals are considered infectious from the onset of symptoms until lesions have crusted, those crusts have separated, and a fresh layer of healthy skin has formed underneath. 

The incubation period of monkeypox is usually from 7 to 14 days but can range from 5 to 21 days. Initial symptoms usually include fever, fatigue, headache and enlarged lymph nodes. A rash often starts on the face and then appears on the palms, arms, legs, and other parts of the body. Over a week or two, the rash changes from small, flat spots to tiny blisters that are similar to chickenpox, and then to larger blisters. These can take several weeks to scab over and fall off.

Learn more at kdhe.ks.gov/monkeypox or call Barton County Health Department, 620-793-1902.