MIAMI — The Florida Keys has its first confirmed case of monkeypox, state Health Department officials said Wednesday.
Alison Kerr, spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County, said “transmission is primarily” happening with “men who have sex with men,” but officials are urging those who clean hotel rooms in the tourism-dependent Florida Keys to use caution.
“Even those who have exposure to the fabrics — clothing, bedding — of people who have had the infection, are susceptible to contracting the disease. So, we’re trying to get the word out to those who change linens or beddings in the hospitality industry. We’re trying to recommend gloves and encouraging them not to have that bedding up against the skin, because that’s another way it can be contracted,” Kerr said.
