RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Northern Nevada Public Health has reported two cases of mpox in Washoe County, prompting officials to remind residents that while overall risk to the general public remains low, precautions are still important for people at higher risk of exposure.
Melvin Sanicas, the global medical lead for vaccines at Bavarian Nordic, said the detection is drawing attention well beyond Nevada. “The detection in Washoe County is important news,” Sanicas said. “It has been reported all over the world now.”
Mpox—formerly known as monkeypox—is a viral illness that can spread through prolonged skin-to-skin contact. Health officials say it can also spread through contaminated personal items such as clothing or bedding. Possible symptoms include a rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue.
Dr. Chad Kingsley, the district health officer for Northern Nevada Public Health, explained that mpox belongs to the same “pox” family as other illnesses many people have heard of. “The reason it has pox on it [is] because it’s the same family—so chickenpox, measles, smallpox,” Kingsley said, adding that it can present in similar ways.
Northern Nevada Public Health is urging people who may be at higher risk of exposure to take steps to protect themselves. Kingsley said vaccination is one of the best tools to prevent illness before it spreads, though residents may need to meet eligibility requirements because a limited number of doses are available.
Health officials are also focused on limiting further transmission by identifying and monitoring close contacts. Sanicas said rapid contact identification, testing, and vaccination for those at high risk are key steps moving forward. “The priority now is really rapid identification of close contacts of those people who have been infected, testing them, especially when symptoms appear, and vaccination, of course, for people at high risk,” he said.
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