NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday about "severe manifestations' of monkeypox.
"During the current outbreak in the United States, 38% of people diagnosed with monkeypox were coinfected with HIV1 and most reported cases of monkeypox with severe manifestations have been among people living with untreated HIV," the CDC said.
For perspective, the CDC notes most people diagnosed with monkeypox have mild-to-moderate clinical courses.
Some severe manifestations per the CDC include:
- Atypical or persistent rash with coalescing or necrotic lesions, or both, some which have required extensive surgical debridement or amputation of an affected extremity.
- Lesions on a significant proportion of the total body surface area, which may be associated with edema and secondary bacterial or fungal infections among other complications.
- Lesions in sensitive areas (including mucosal surfaces such as, oropharynx, urethra, rectum, vagina) resulting in severe pain that interferes with activities of daily living.
According to Metro Health, 108 of the 136 cases in Davidson County have recovered. The total number of cases went up by seven this past week.
In total, 1,420 doses of the monkeypox vaccine have been given out by Metro Health staff.
"Currently vaccine eligibility is limited to those who are known contacts of a monkeypox case," Metro Health said, "those who know their sexual partner had monkeypox in the past 14 days, those who had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days, and men who have sex with men, transgender persons, gender non-binary persons or gender nonconforming persons who answer 'yes' to one of the following in the past 90 days: had multiple sex partners or anonymous sex; been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection; are living with HIV; received PrEP for HIV."
If you are eligible, you can schedule a vaccine by calling the communicable disease line at 615-340-5632.
