East Texas hospitals confirm treating 1 case of monkeypox

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - One hospital in East Texas has reported treating a case of monkeypox.

Among the hospitals responding to requests for information, only one has reported treating a case of monkeypox: UT Health East Texas. They had only one case, according to Director of Communications Allison Pollan. She said that patient was discharged home in good condition. She did not say which city the patient was located in.

Pollan said that due to the knowledge gained through the COVID-19 pandemic, they had in place strong infection prevention strategies with “appropriate levels of isolation and other precautions.”

At CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances in Tyler, spokesperson Will Knous said that to date, there have been no confirmed cases of monkeypox in any of the CHRISTUS facilities in East Texas. He encourages the public to remember that, “...while public health officials say the risk to the general public remains low, we always encourage our community to practice good hygiene habits like washing hands with soap and water. A simple 20-second hand washing remains one of the best ways to keep yourself healthy and stop the spread of bacteria and viruses, as does staying home when you’re not feeling well.”

As of Monday afternoon, NET Health had no reports of any monkeypox cases in their seven-county region.

An Angelina County and Cities Health District spokesperson said that “at this point we don’t have any in the entire region.”

To learn more about monkeypox, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website by clicking here.