First case of Monkeypox confirmed in El Paso County

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has identified the first case of monkeypox in El Paso County.

The CDPHE is the lead agency on this investigation and is completing the contract tracing associated with this case. El Paso County Public Health’s role is to vaccinate any high-risk exposures identified by CDPHE as part of their investigation.

Individual risk to the public continues to be low, according to the CDPHE.

The CDPHE says that the version of monkeypox spreading in the United States has a fatality rate of less than one percent. According to the CDPHE, there have been 36 cases in Colorado and most cases resolve on their own within four weeks. Vaccinations given within four days of exposure can help prevent illness, and vaccines administered between four and 14 days after exposure can help prevent severe illness.

Anyone who believes they have been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox in the last 14 days is eligible for the vaccine say the CDPHE. Limited vaccine appointments are available to Coloradans who self-attest to their eligibility through the appointment request form. Eligible Coloradans include men aged 18 years and older who are gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the last 14 days, says the CDPHE.