The Guthrie County Public Health addresses a rare but transmissible virus as cases pop up all over the United States. 

Director Jotham Arber says that there have been no reported cases of Monkeypox in Iowa and only 35 cases in the nation. He says there are some confusing things going around about Monkeypox. 

“Truth of the matter is, monkeypox is fairly rare. It doesn’t. It happens endemically in the world. So it’s not like it’s a new thing that just popped out of nowhere. It’s not not a novel virus. You see it in a lot of Central African countries.

He also explains that monkeypox is very hard to spread. 

“In order for monkeypox to spread. Monkeypox is generally spread through physical contact with either dead primates that had it or that things have had the virus. It can be respiratory in nature, but it takes a lot more to spread it. It is not as virulent and spreadable as COVID 19.”

Arber says that the public health department is continuing to monitor the county for monkeypox but says they have not tested anyone in the community because they have not met the criteria.