The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared on Friday that it was aware of more than 700 global cases of monkeypox, including 21 in the United States, now that investigations show it is spreading inside the country.
according to a new CDC ReportOf the first 17 cases, sixteen were in people who identified as having sex with men, and 14 were believed to be travel-related. Additionally, all patients have recovered or been cured, and no cases are fatal.
“There have also been some cases in the United States that we know are linked to known cases,” said Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC’s Department of High Outcome Pathogens and Pathology. AFP report good..
“We also have at least one case in the United States that doesn’t have a travel link or know how they acquired their infection.”
it is important to note that monkeypox A rare disease related to smallpox, but less severe, causing a spreading rash, fever, chills, and pain among other symptoms.
While, generally confined to western and central Africa, there are cases that have been reported in Europe since May and the number of affected countries has increased. Additionally, Canada released new figures on Friday, counting 77 confirmed cases, almost all of them found in the province of Quebec, where vaccines have been distributed.
Although its new spread may be linked to special gay festivals in Europe, monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted disease, the main risk factor being skin-to-skin contact with someone who has had monkeypox lesions. A person is contagious until all wounds have healed and new skin forms.
Meanwhile, last month the CDC said it had 100 million doses of ACAM200 and 1,000 doses of JYNNEOS available, but O’Connell said the figures had changed on Friday, though she could not disclose the exact numbers for strategic reasons. . The CDC has also authorized two antivirals used to treat smallpox, TPOX and cidofovir, to be repurposed to treat monkeypox.
“Anyone can get monkeypox and we are carefully monitoring monkeypox, which can spread to any population, including those who identify as men who have sex with men,” McQuiston said. are not.”
A suspected case must be “anyone with a new characteristic rash,” or anyone who meets criteria for high suspicion such as being a person with episodic travel, close contact, or having sex with men.
(with inputs from agencies)