21 Cases Of Monkeypox Identified In 11 States, CDC Says

Topline

There are 21 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox in 11 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters Friday, as the disease continues to spread worldwide, with almost 800 cases reported.

Key Facts

Most U.S. cases seem to be related to the European outbreak of the disease, while two patients have been infected with versions of the virus stemming from a different monkeypox case identified in Texas last year, the CDC said, according to the New York Times.

Of 17 patients with confirmed cases of monkeypox, 16 identified themselves as men who have sex with men, while 14 had taken trips to other countries before their symptoms began, the CDC said in a report released Friday.

The CDC really wants to “increase our surveillance efforts,” though the overall public is not at a great health risk, CDC official Jennifer McQuiston told reporters, according to CNBC.

No deaths have been reported in the outbreaks so far, and the CDC says most people recover within two to four weeks without specific treatments.

What To Watch For

More cases and more tests in the U.S. in the coming days, Raj Panjabi, senior director for Global Health Security and Biodefense in the White House, told reporters, according to Politico.

Key Background

Monkeypox cases have cropped up in a host of Western countries since early last month, including Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Italy and France. The U.S. reported its first infection in Massachusetts two weeks ago. The virus is endemic to certain parts of Central and Western Africa, including Nigeria—which continues to report cases in a large outbreak that started five years ago—but cases are rare in other parts of the world. Inger Damon, director of the CDC’s division of high-consequence pathogens and pathology, told STAT News on Friday genetic analysis suggests there are two different monkeypox outbreaks occurring outside of Africa, suggesting the disease has been spreading for longer than expected. Many cases so far have involved men who have sex with men, though the virus is not a sexually transmitted disease. It is spread through close contact, including with an infected animal, person or materials contaminated with the virus.

Further Reading

21 Americans Infected With Monkeypox, C.D.C. Reports (New York Times)

More cases of monkeypox expected as CDC warns of community spread (Politico)

Genetic data indicate at least two separate monkeypox outbreaks underway, suggesting wider spread (STAT News)