DALLAS (July 6, 2022) – Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS), in collaboration with the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC, has identified one confirmed monkeypox case in an out-of-state visitor who was in town for the Daddyland Festival over the July 4th weekend. The visitor went to a Dallas hospital with a rash and was diagnosed through laboratory testing done at DCHHS. Given the size of the Daddyland Festival, others who attended the events could have been exposed to monkeypox and, possibly, infected.
This individual reported attendance at Daddyland Festival events and private parties while infectious. Daddyland Festival includes events such as dance parties with live disc jockeys, pool parties, and nightclub events. There is a concern for local, community transmission for anyone who attended these events and participated in activities that pose a high risk for monkeypox transmission. Dallas County has previously reported four monkeypox cases among county residents. All four of those cases are local residents who have self-identified as men who have sex with other men (MSM) and reported a history of international travel.
Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox. Monkeypox virus can also spread between people through respiratory droplets typically in a close setting, such as people living in the same household or in a healthcare setting. Persons with monkeypox may develop symptoms such as a fever, swollen lymph nodes, and general body aches before developing a rash. Common household disinfectants can kill the monkeypox virus.
Nationally, many monkeypox cases are occurring within sexual networks. People who attended the Daddyland Festival parties—including men who have sex with men, people who use social media applications to find sex partners, and those who have had skin-to-skin contact with people with sores or other symptoms of monkeypox—should be aware of their risk and seek medical attention if they develop symptoms of monkeypox.
