ST. LOUIS COUNTY — The St. Louis County Department of Public Health on Wednesday launched an online data dashboard to keep residents informed about the county’s increasing number of monkeypox cases.
The dashboard will be updated every Monday and will display the data in three different ways: case total, new cases on the date they were reported, and a chart showing the increase in cases over time.
The data shows eight cases in St. Louis County. The first was reported on July 17.
The dashboard is the latest effort by Missouri and local health officials to educate the public about the global monkeypox outbreak and try to contain its spread while vaccine is still in limited supply.
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“We expect that to increase based on what we’ve seen across the country,” said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page at a County Council meeting Tuesday. “We’re hopeful that early access to the vaccine will help mitigate the spread in our community.”
Missouri’s latest tally of monkeypox cases is 38, 28 of which have been in the St. Louis area, according to Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Missouri saw its first case on June 18.
Nationwide, as of Tuesday, the number of cases was 15,909, more than three times what it was a month ago
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s administration last week ordered that any cases of monkeypox be reported to state or local health departments within one day of detection — putting the virus on par with other communicable diseases, such as cholera, polio and measles.
The order goes into effect Aug. 29 and should speed up efforts to identify close contacts of new cases and get them vaccinated, which is is most effective if given within four days of exposure to a case.
The order follows a decision to send doses of a vaccine used to prevent monkeypox to five regional distribution hubs across the state: Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, Butler County and St. Louis County.
With the St. Louis County region experiencing the most cases, it received the most vials to distribute in the latest shipment — 1,900.
Some of the vials will be used to vaccinate five people instead of one. A recently approved plan by the Food and Drug Administration allows vaccinators to stretch the amount of vaccine by giving a shot that goes just under the skin with a smaller dose.
In addition to close contacts, those at high risk of contracting the disease are also eligible for vaccines. To identify individuals, the state health department recently created an online survey, which has been completed by more than 1,500 people.
“We are now contacting those people and scheduling them to come in for vaccinations,” said Christopher Ave, spokesman for the county health department.
As the number of cases grows, Ave said, the county will likely add demographic data to its monkeypox dashboard such as age, sex and race.
The city of St. Louis also maintains a tally of cases on its health department website. The site shows a total of 17 confirmed and probable cases of monkeypox in the city.
Governor Mike Parson's administration on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, took another step aimed at stopping the spread of monkeypox in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services issued an emergency order that requires all cases of monkeypox to be reported to state or local health authorities within one day of detection. The order goes into effect on Aug. 29.
Monkeypox is part of the same family of viruses as smallpox, but is not as deadly. It often begins with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes, then progresses to a rash. The lesions can be painful and typically lasts two to four weeks.
It can spread through intimate physical contact; touching personal items such as clothing or linens; skin-to-skin contact with rash, scabs or bodily fluids; or respiratory droplets spread through kissing or coughing.
Men who have sex with men have been affected most by this outbreak, and spread has mostly been found to be transmitted during sex. This group will be prioritized for vaccine, health officials have said.
Kelsey Landis of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
Michele Munz • 314-340-8263 @michelemunz on Twitter mmunz@post-dispatch.com
