SEATTLE — As new monkeypox infections continue to pop up in Washington, some state virologists are beginning to turn their attention toward tracking the virus’s spread.
UW Medicine’s virology lab, the largest genomic sequencing lab in the state, has become one of the few in the country to establish testing for monkeypox, according to a Monday statement. The step comes as the state’s number of monkeypox infections ticks up — totaling at least 16 cases as of last week, including the first infection in a Snohomish County resident.
Over the weekend, Pierce County health officials also reported the county’s first probable monkeypox case in a man in his 30s. He was not hospitalized and is recovering at home, according to a statement from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
“Our [lab’s] turnaround time is one to two days right now,” said Alex Greninger, an assistant professor of laboratory medicine at UW Medicine who helps run the virology lab. “This is something we do all the time, for lots and lots and lots of DNA viruses.”
The lab has been sequencing COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and will continue to track the coronavirus locally, in addition to collecting data on monkeypox spread.
Health care providers can order testing through UW Medicine’s Department of Laboratory Medicine if they think a patient has been infected with monkeypox.
The state also expects to receive about 400 courses of the two-dose monkeypox vaccine through the federal government’s plan to distribute a limited amount of vaccines nationwide, the state Department of Health said last week.
About 272 courses have already been distributed in parts of Washington with known cases and close contacts, the department added.
While early cases occurred in people who had traveled outside Washington, more recent cases have occurred in people who hadn’t traveled recently, meaning they were likely exposed to monkeypox locally, King County public health officials said last week. Officials are working to conduct contact tracing and notify close contacts in these cases, according to the DOH.
Monkeypox can affect anyone, and those who are most at risk are those who have had close skin-to-skin contact with someone with monkeypox. In the recent surge, cases have been reported to be especially prevalent among men who have had close or intimate contact with other men, local health leaders have said, though the risk is not limited to men who have sex with men.
The vaccine can reduce the chance of developing an infection for those who have recently had close contact with someone who has tested positive.
According to the DOH, monkeypox can cause flulike symptoms, swollen lymph nodes and a rash that can appear anywhere on the body. Most recently, people had lesions on the genitals or in the anal area sometimes with or without flulike symptoms, the health authority said.
Anyone who has symptoms of monkeypox or has been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed should see a health care provider.
Most cases do not require hospitalization and to date, no one in the U.S. has died from the virus. People typically recover within two to four weeks but more serious cases can arise for immunocompromised people, children, people with eczema or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
