Monkeypox in Travis County: An FAQ
Learn more about the virus, stay up-to-date with the latest case counts and get familiar with community resources in the Austin area
Reviewed by Rama Thyagarajan, MD
Written by Lauren Schneider
Update: This piece was edited on August 5th to reflect more recent information from the City of Austin regarding case counts and vaccine availability.
On Sunday, July 17, a representative for University Health Services at UT Austin confirmed a case of monkeypox in the university community. The announcement came just days after Austin Public Health reported community spread of monkeypox in Austin and Travis County, meaning that infection in the area can no longer be attributed to a single individual or population.
“This is the first time that local transmission is being reported without any discrete epidemiologic link to countries of monkeypox endemicity “ said Michael Stefanowicz, DO, at a joint town hall between Dell Medical School and the Travis County Medical Society on July 14. Dr. Stefanowicz serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health at Dell Med.
How many monkeypox cases are there in Travis County?
As of August 4 there are 9 confirmed cases and 46 presumptive cases of the virus in Travis County. Case numbers are updated online every Thursday on the City of Austin website.
How is monkeypox transmitted?
Kristin Mondy, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Med who also serves as the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, described common methods routes of monkeypox transmission at the town hall.
According to Dr. Mondy, contact with the following can result in a monkeypox infection:
- Respiratory droplets: “We don’t think of it like COVID. We think of very close, prolonged contact.”
- Skin lesions
- Bodily fluids
- Contaminated objects or surfaces
Routes of entry
Dr. Mondy said the virus can enter the body through the following:
- The respiratory tract
- Mucous membranes (such as those in the mouth and genitals)
- Close skin contact with infected rash or body fluids
What are symptoms associated with monkeypox?
The primary symptom associated with monkeypox is a rash that may resemble pimples or blisters. Rama Thyagarajan, MD, an infectious disease expert at the Infectious Disease Clinic at UT Health Austin, describes these lesions as “rounded, sometimes with a white spot [and] sometimes with a dimple in the center.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website lists additional symptoms of monkeypox, which include:
- Muscle aches
- Fever
- Headache
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- Swollen lymph nodes
Monkeypox symptoms typically last 2-4 weeks.
What should I do if I exhibit monkeypox symptoms?
The CDC recommends that individuals with symptoms of monkeypox contact their healthcare provider, who will connect them to local testing and treatment initiatives. Austinites without a healthcare provider can call Austin Public Health’s Equity Line at 512-972-5560.
In Travis County, “the testing and treatment for monkeypox has to be coordinated through Austin Public Health, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and the CDC,” says Dr. Thyagarajan.
She adds that practitioners at the Infectious Disease Clinic can help patients address additional clinical concerns related to monkeypox alongside the testing and treatment coordinated by these groups.
What should I do if I test positive for monkeypox?
According to Dr. Thyagarajan, people who have tested positive for monkeypox should avoid the following:
- Close physical (skin-to-skin) interaction with another person, whether the contact is sexual or platonic in nature
- Sharing common spaces (e.g. bedrooms, bathrooms) with others
- Sharing personal items (i.e. bedsheets, razors, and furniture) with others
Upon testing positive, people should also contact anyone with whom they have recently been in such close contact.
Dr. Thyagarajan says any person with monkeypox should uphold these precautions as long as they still have active lesions and pustules. “If they feel fine and all the lesions have scabbed off, they can resume normal activity.”
Are monkeypox vaccines available in the Austin area?
Austin Public Health is set to receive 3,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine and is administering its current 1,500-dose supply to the following individuals:
- Those known to have had close contact with a person infected with the monkeypox virus
- Those presumed to have had close contact with a person infected with the monkeypox virus based on the following criteria:
- A sexual partner in the past 14 days was diagnosed with monkeypox
- Multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days are in a jurisdiction with known monkeypox
How can I avoid the spread of monkeypox?
Dr. Thyagarajan says that people should avoid close physical contact of any sort with anyone with any skin lesion that looks like pimples, even if only one or two lesions are present, and individuals who are being tested for monkeypox.
People who believe they have been in close contact with somebody with monkeypox should contact their healthcare provider. Individuals in Travis County can call Austin Public Health’s Equity Line at 512-972-5560 for more information about monkeypox.
Where can I learn more about the monkeypox outbreak?
CDC | Monkeypox | Frequently Asked Questions
