(Radio Iowa) – The World Health Organization is declaring an international health emergency over m-pox, what used to be known as monkeypox, though -no- cases are reported in Iowa and generally, Iowans are just warned to be aware. Brian Simmons, an infection preventionist with Gundersen Health System, explains how m-pox is transmitted and what it does. “Mpox is a virus that is spread either through close contact with family members or through sexual contact,” Simmons says. “It is a virus that can cause sores that we see on different parts of the body. It’s very similar to what smallpox might have looked like years ago.”

Symptoms of m-pox include: fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a rash or blisters. It can be fatal, especially a strain that’s appearing primarily in African nations. “The newer strain of mpox is more virulent than what the previous strain was that we saw a few years ago, that we actually saw around here in the United States, even around locally,” Simmons says. “Currently, the newer strain is mostly around or within the sub-Sahara African nations, such as Congo and so on.” The W-H-O has only declared public health emergencies seven times, including for m-pox in 2022.

CDC photo

Across the U-S, more than 16-hundred m-pox cases are reported this year, twice the number of cases seen by this time last year. Simmons says this virus shouldn’t be a big worry for the majority of Iowans, though people need to stay informed. “For those that could have a high risk for mpox, they may want to consider a vaccine. That still is a way to combat against mpox transmission,” Simmons says. “For those that are very low risk for mpox, just being aware of what’s going on in the world, or if you’re traveling to areas of Africa that have it endemic in those areas.”

State health officials say a limited amount of m-pox vaccines are available to eligible individuals in 13 Iowa counties: Black Hawk, Cerro Gordo, Des Moines, Dubuque, Johnson, Linn, Polk, Pottawattamie, Scott, Story, Washington, Webster and Woodbury.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A man from Nebraska was injured during a chain-reaction crash involving his motorcycle and three other vehicles Thursday afternoon, north of Atlantic. The Iowa State Patrol says the vehicles: a 2014 Honda CTX-130, operated by 60-year-old Anthony Haynes, Sr., of Omaha; a 2024 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by 53-year-old William Smith, of Vernona, NY, and a 2021 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by 30-year-old Jacob Swoboda, of Gretna, NE, were all traveling east on Interstate 80 near Exit 57 (Cass County Road N-16/Olive Street/620th St.) at around 3:25-p.m.

When a pilot car for an oversized load pulled into the traffic lanes, a 2021 BMW X-1 driven by 23-year-old Carly Boss, of Clive, slowed and pulled over to the left shoulder, as the vehicle ahead of the BMW was doing the same thing. When the BMW slowed to a stop, it was struck by the motorcycle.

The motorcycle was then hit by the Chevy pickup truck, which was hit by the Dodge pickup truck. The Patrol says Anthony Haynes, Sr., was transported by Cass EMS to Cass Health in Atlantic, before being flown by LifeFlight helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha. A report on his condition was not released.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Cass EMS assisted at the scene.

CRESTON, Iowa – In an update to our previous report, the Iowa Department of Public Safety says that at around 7:37-a.m. today (Thursday, August 15, 2024), officers with the Creston Police Department were dispatched to the 800 block of North Lincoln Street after receiving reports of gunshots. While officers were en route, they were notified of an adult male at the Greater Regional Health Center with multiple gunshot wounds. Medical professionals treated the man, who was then airlifted to a Des Moines area hospital for additional treatment. He is expected to recover.

In response to the shooting, the GRHC and other local businesses were placed in a brief lockdown while officers secured the area. The lockdown has since been lifted.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., Creston police officers and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agents arrested Daniel McDowell, 22, of Lorimor, Iowa. He was taken into custody without incident at the Union County Law Enforcement Center and has since been processed into the Union County Jail. He is facing one count of attempted murder and a probation violation.

Daniel McDowell (Booking photo via the Iowa DPS)

This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.