Contact tracing is being conducted in Hawaii County following its first confirmed case of monkeypox on Friday, bringing the statewide case count to eight.
Kaitlin Arita-Chang, spokesperson for the state Department of Health, confirmed “connections to previously reported cases are under investigation.”
“DOH staff are working to notify close contacts directly,” Arita-Chang said.
Whether it’s contact tracing for COVID-19 or tracking monkeypox exposure, the process can be challenging.
“As with any contact tracing activity, it can be difficult to reach all contacts, but we have been able to successfully identify lists of contacts for most of the cases, and have reached out to the majority of them,” State Epidemiologist Sarah Kemble said earlier this month. “There always may be people who end up lost to follow up, and so that’s part of the concern, to make sure that we also go beyond and vaccinate potential contacts, trying to make sure we’re addressing those at highest risk.”
The number of close contacts varies depending on the person who tests positive.
“We have for some cases identified a number of close contacts, whereas for others it may just be one or two, so it’s pretty variable,” Kemble said. “We’ve been able to vaccinate close contacts so far.”
Hawaii was one of nine states to receive the first doses of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine. As a result, close contacts of the Hawaii County case can receive the two-dose vaccination from the DOH.
“Vaccination will be offered to contacts if appropriate,” said Arita-Chang. “DOH staff on Hawaii Island have access to Jynneos.”
A total of 357 doses of the vaccine arrived for the state at the beginning of this month, part of an expected 1.6 million doses the federal government plans to make available throughout the year.
“We are working with health care providers to make sure these individuals have access to vaccination,” said Deputy State Epidemiologist Nathan Tan. “We expect to receive additional doses in the coming weeks.”
Nationwide as of Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 605 cases of monkeypox in 34 states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Most people diagnosed with monkeypox experience mild to moderate illness, resulting in rashes and sores that are itchy and painful.
Infections typically begin within 21 days of exposure, starting with flu-like symptoms including fevers, headaches, muscle aches, chills, exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes before progressing to rashes and sores on the hands, feet, chest, face or genitals.
The disease is spread mainly through close, intimate contact with body fluids, lesion material or large respiratory droplets from someone with monkeypox. The droplets generally cannot travel more than a few feet, so prolonged face-to-face contact is required for infection.
With just one case on the island, Arita-Chang confirmed the risk to most Hawaii residents remains low.
“Anyone who has direct skin-to-skin or prolonged close contact with someone with monkeypox is at risk of infection,” she added. “Regardless of who they are, what they do, or if they are sexually active.”
If someone thinks they have been exposed, Arita-Chang suggested contacting their health care provider.
“Make sure to call ahead and mention that you may have been exposed to monkeypox,” she said.
To mitigate the spread, Arita-Chang suggested many of the same tools that helped fight off COVID.
“Many of the same measures that have protected us in the last two years with the COVID-19 pandemic also prevent spread of other diseases, including monkeypox,” she said. “This includes staying home if you’re sick, washing your hands, and limiting close personal contact with people who have symptoms of monkeypox.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.