Six monkeypox cases in Colorado, no local cases at the moment

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Six cases of monkeypox are identified in Colorado. At the moment, no local cases in Mesa County.

The Mesa County Public Health is working closely with local health systems to identify and limit the spread of the virus.

Especially at this time, with travel happening this summer and people going back and forth between the Front Range and the Western Slope, there is a chance of seeing monkeypox in the county.

The health department adds if any cases are to be detected in the county, trained teams will identify those people and administer post-exposure vaccines to prevent them from developing a disease.

“So monkeypox is rarely a fatal disease, although, of course, we want to prevent the spread of any infectious disease,” said Disease Surveillance and Emergency Response Manager Rachel Burmeister. “So it’s important to if you suspect that you’ve been in contact with someone with monkeypox, or you suspect that you may have monkeypox, to talk to your physician so that we can break the cycle of transmission and prevent other people from getting sick.”

According to MCPH, monkeypox is spread through close contact with someone infected with the disease through lesions, body fluids, or respiratory droplets.

The health department will notify the community when any cases are confirmed in the county.