The first confirmed case of monkeypox has been identified in Douglas County as of Tuesday. 

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced this is the third case in Kansas, with cases also identified in Shawnee and Johnson counties. The individual was tested by the Health Department’s lab. Both the individual and their close contacts have been vaccinated. 

With access to vaccines limited, it is important for all residents to be aware of the symptoms and take steps to avoid exposure, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health said in a news release. 

In most cases, a person could experience fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. The appearance of a pimple-like rash may appear on the face, mouth, hands, feet, chest or genitals. 

The Health Department reminds people the rash can form before other symptoms and recommends people with a rash and other risk factors contact their health care providers immediately. 

Monkeypox spreads mostly through direct contact with infectious lesions, scabs, body fluids or by respiratory secretions during long periods of face-to-face contact. Monkeypox can also spread through contact with materials that have touched body fluids, lesions, clothing and linens. 

Risk factors for monkeypox infection include the following scenarios within the 21 days of first symptom onset:

• Contact with a person or people with a similar appearing rash or who received a diagnosis of confirmed or probable monkeypox

• Close or intimate in-person contact with individuals in a social network experiencing monkeypox activity including meeting partners through an online website, digital app or social event

• Recent travel outside the U.S. to a country with confirmed cases of monkeypox or where monkeypox virus is endemic 

• Contact with a dead or live wild animal or exotic pet that is an African endemic species or used a product derived from such animals (game meat, creams, lotions, powders, etc.) 

Cleaning practices and laundering reduces the spread through materials. When symptoms begin, people are considered infectious from the onset until lesions have crusted, crusts have separated, and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The rash can take several weeks to scab over and fall off. 

The incubation period is typically 7 to 14 days but can range from 5 to 21 days. If residents in Douglas County have been exposed to monkeypox or are showing symptoms, they must call the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health’s clinic at 785-843-0721. 

For more information, people can visit kdhe.ks.gov/1923/Monkeypox.