(NEXSTAR) According to recent data from the CDC, monkeypox cases are on the rise and have now been confirmed in 12 states and Washington, D.C.
According to CDC data released Monday, 31 Americans have contracted monkeypox or are suspected to have it after testing positive for orthopoxvirus, the virus family to which monkeypox belongs.
What exactly is monkeypox?
The state with the most cases is New York, which has seven, followed by California (6), Florida (4), Colorado (3), Illinois (2), and Utah (2). (2). Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington D.C. each have one confirmed case.
According to The New York Times, the testing process takes time since suspected cases are first checked at one of 66 public health labs in the United States that can test for orthopoxvirus, and if positive, are then forwarded to the CDC headquarters in Atlanta to be tested for monkeypox.
The CDC has also issued a Level 2 notice for tourists, advising them to avoid close contact with sick persons, dead or live wild animals, wild game meat, and potentially infected objects such as clothes or bedding. According to the CDC, wearing a mask can also help protect against monkeypox.
The United States is one of few countries where monkeypox cases are not typically reported.
The following are the indications and symptoms of monkeypox.
On Monday, British health officials announced 77 new monkeypox cases, bringing the country’s total to more than 300. To date, the United Kingdom has the largest identified epidemic of the illness outside of Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Sunday that 780 cases of monkeypox had been recorded in more than two dozen countries that had not previously identified cases, representing a more than 200 percent increase in cases since late May. There have been no reports of monkeypox deaths outside of Africa.
Fever, headache, muscular discomfort, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and tiredness are the earliest symptoms of monkeypox. Within a few days, a rash will appear, followed by pustules that may cause scars. The illness lasts about 2-4 weeks, and mortality figures from Africa reveal that up to one in every ten persons die from it.
The CDC is encouraging healthcare providers in the United States to be on the lookout for people exhibiting such symptoms.
The ADPH monitors the spread of monkeypox.
The majority of cases in Europe and worldwide have been discovered in sexual health clinics and have “mostly, but not solely, involved males who have sex with men,” according to WHO experts, although everyone in contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.
Dr. Rosamund Lewis, WHO’s top specialist on monkeypox, said last week that she believed the disease would cause a pandemic, but that action should be made promptly to stop its spread so that it does not become entrenched in new places.
