First two cases of monkeypox confirmed in Juárez, Chihuahua health officials announce
Chihuahua health officials announced Monday that two men in Juárez are the state's first confirmed monkeypox cases.
The two patients are isolated and in stable condition, according to Chihuahua health secretary Dr. Felipe Fernando Sandoval Magallanes. He said they are "between 44 and 32 years old" and had traveled to Colombia. The announcement comes after El Paso confirmed its first case of the virus on Friday.
The men presented monkeypox symptoms and sought medical care Thursday in Juárez. The test samples were sent to Mexico City, where Mexico's sole laboratory processing monkeypox tests is located. Health officials said so far the contact tracing team has not identified any other cases.
More:City of El Paso reports first case of monkeypox
El Paso health officials confirmed on Aug. 12 that a women in her 50s is the city's first monkeypox case. She is recovering at home and contact tracing has begun. The health department closed a separate investigation of another monkeypox patient who was erroneously labeled as an El Paso resident.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dashboard, as of Monday, Mexico has reported 91 cases of monkeypox and the United States has reported 9,491. Monkeypox symptoms include rash, fever and chills. According to the CDC, monkeypox is spread through close contact, often skin-to-skin, including direct contact with monkeypox rashes or scabs or touching objects used by someone with the virus.
More:As first monkeypox case reported in region, El Paso gets doses of vaccine
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Juárez confirms first cases of monkeypox in Chihuahua state
