Clark County School District identifies monkeypox case at Las Vegas-area high school

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Clark County School District and Southern Nevada Health District identified a case of monkeypox at a Las Vegas-area high school.

The case was identified at Palo Verde High School. A CCSD spokesperson could not confirm whether the case was a student, staffer or teacher, but said that not identifying the person was standard protocol.

CCSD said they were informed by SNHD of the case. SNHD is reporting 75 monkeypox cases in Clark County.

Principal message sent via ParentLink to Palo Verde High School:

The Southern Nevada Health District confirmed the case as well but said it would not disclose the age of the patient or any other details about how they were infected.

Doctors anticipated Monkeypox cases to emerge among students once school started.

Dr. Christina Madison, founder of The Public Health Pharmacist and associate professor at Roseman University of Health Sciences, breaks down the risk of Monkeypox in classrooms. The main scenarios for spread include intimate contact, large gatherings, or household spread.

The risk is higher among small children with plenty of close contact, but what could determine spread in classrooms is the amount of time in the same space, as well as ventilation.

“It can also be respiratorily transmitted. So if you’re in the same contained space, and it doesn’t have that many air exchanges per minute, that could also lead to those particulates hanging out in the air,” Dr. Madison said.

From bathrooms to locker rooms, Dr. Madison advises good hygiene, handwashing, regular laundry and proper towel disposal are crucial to maintaining sanitary spaces.

As for contact sports, proper hygiene before and after matches and games is crucial—as well as avoiding sports if a rash appears.

If your teenager is sexually active, they would be qualified for a Monkeypox vaccine. “It’s not something that some parents want to maybe think about, but if they do have multiple partners, that is now one of the risk factors that CDC has indicated. And that is regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation,” Dr. Madison said.

Any parent who is concerned about their child’s risk and whether they need a vaccine can contact SNHD or The Huntridge Clinic, which are administering doses.

Copyright 2022 KVVU. All rights reserved.