Monkeypox virus test results document with stethoscope
Bill Oxford
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Numerous claims about monkeypox have been circulating as the virus continues to spread in Mecklenburg County.
As health officials rush to quell the outbreak, thousands are being exposed to or amplifying misconceptions about monkeypox such as where the virus originated to how it spreads.
There were 261 confirmed cases of monkeypox in North Carolina as of Monday, including 115 in Mecklenburg County – a 92% increase since Aug. 8 – according to the Mecklenburg County Health Department.
The county also identified six hospitalizations due to monkeypox and its first juvenile case in a patient under the age of 18 last week, The Charlotte Observer reported.
We gathered information from health officials and news reports to confirm — or debunk — the monkeypox claims about the virus.
Claim: Monkeypox is a sexually transmitted disease
The claims that monkeypox is a sexually transmitted disease are based on the fact that the outbreak has disproportionately affected members of the LGBTQIA+ community, more specifically – men who have had sex with other men.
Rating: False
Monkeypox does not exclusively spread as a result of sexual activity like other, like other STDs do, according to Dr. Robert Murphy, an infectious disease expert at Northwestern Medicine.
“Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease in the classic sense (by which it’s spread in the semen or vaginal fluids), but it is spread by close physical contact with lesions,” Murphy said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has emphasized that anyone who does not have prior immunity, regardless of their sexual orientation, can contract the virus.
RELATED: Fact check: Is monkeypox really an STD? What the CDC says about the virus
Claim: People can be infected with monkeypox through airborne transmission
With monkeypox spreading rapidly throughout the U.S., some have wondered whether the virus can be transmitted through the air similarly to COVID-19
Rating: Mixed
According to the CDC, monkeypox can spread through “respiratory secretions” when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or laughs.
Airborne transmission occurs when small virus particles are suspended in the air and stay there for periods of time, the CDC said on its website. These particles can spread through the air and can infect people who enter a room after the infected person has exited.
Monkeypox can be found in respiratory droplets like saliva that drop out of the air quickly, the CDC says. The CDC added that it has yet to be determined whether monkeypox can be spread through casual conversation with an infected person, or walking by someone with monkeypox in public.
RELATED: Fact check: Can people be infected with monkeypox through airborne transmission?
Claim: Pets can contract monkeypox
With thousands of monkeypox cases being reported in humans, some have wondered if the virus can infect their pets.
Rating: True
Monkeypox is zoonotic, which means it can spread between animals and people, according to the CDC. However, the agency does not believe the virus poses a high risk to pets but is monitoring the situation closely.
If you suspect your pet has monkeypox, you should contact your veterinarian and schedule an appointment for them to get tested. If they test positive, you should separate them from people and other animals for at least 21 days, according to the CDC.
RELATED: Monkeypox can spread to children and pets. How susceptible are they to infection?
Claim: Monkeypox was created in a lab
Similar to COVID-19, claims that monkeypox was created by scientists in a lab have circulated on social media.
Rating: False
Monkeypox was not created in a lab, according to Dr. Amy Spallone, an infectious disease expert at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“Though nobody really knows which animal acts as the reservoir for monkeypox or how it was first transmitted to a human, it certainly was not created by scientists in a lab,” Spallone wrote.
Monkeypox originated from the same family of viruses that includes smallpox and has been associated with travel to certain parts of Africa, where it is considered endemic, according to Spallone.
Claim: Monkeypox can be deadly
Some people who contract monkeypox can experience serious symptoms, like fever, swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches. Since monkeypox has been linked to the gay and bisexual communities, some have compared it to HIV and AIDS and concluded the virus has a similar death rate.
Rating: True
Infections with the type of monkeypox virus identified in the current outbreak – the Clade IIb – typically aren’t fatal, according to the CDC.
More than 99% of people who get infected with the virus are likely to survive, but people with weakened immune systems, children under 8 years of age, people with a history of eczema, and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding may be more likely to develop serious symptoms or die, the CDC says.
Most people with monkeypox recover within four weeks without the need for medical treatment, according to the CDC.
Charlotte Observer reporter Evan Santiago contributed to this story.
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This story was originally published August 24, 2022 12:40 PM.
Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.
Discovered on: 2022-08-24 16:40:15
Source: Monkeypox in NC: Fact-checking claims about the virus
