The CDC has identified nine cases of monkeypox in seven states as of Wednesday, Director Dr. Rochelle Valensky said Thursday.
Cases have been reported in Massachusetts, Florida, Utah, Washington, California, Virginia and New York.
Most of the cases are “gay.” [and] bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, “she said. Virginia announced Thursday that the case in her state is a woman.
“This is a community that has strength and has demonstrated the ability to tackle the challenges of its health by focusing on compassion and science,” she said in an obvious reference to the AIDS epidemic.
“While some groups may have a greater chance of exposure at the moment, infectious diseases are not interested in national or international borders. They are not contained in social networks and the risk of exposure is not limited to any specific group, “she warned.
Valenski called on Americans “to approach this epidemic without stigma and without discrimination.”
“We should not be surprised to see more cases.”
The CDC is working to learn more about the outbreak: samples from the nine identified cases have been sent to the agency for further confirmatory testing and genomic research, Valenski said, and is working to find out how each person became infected.
Some of the nine cases have a recent history of international travel to areas with active monkeypox outbreaks, she said, but others have not.
Officials expect more cases to be diagnosed as the CDC urges doctors and Americans to be on the lookout for symptoms.
“We should not be surprised to see more cases reported in the United States in the coming days. This is actually a sign that Americans remain vigilant and health care providers and public health officials are doing their job,” said Dr. Raj Punjabi. Senior Director of the White House for Health Security and Biosecurity.
As part of this outbreak, the CDC is monitoring a number of monkeypox groups that were reported in early to mid-May in several countries that do not typically report such infections, including regions in Europe and North America.
Monkeypox is rare in the United States, and the virus is not found naturally in the country, according to the CDC. Once the virus has spread from animal to human, human-to-human transmission can occur through close direct contact, such as through large respiratory droplets or skin lesions.
Symptoms of monkeypox may include fever, headache, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Characteristic of the disease is that it can cause lesions or pustules and a rash on the body, including the palms of the hands and feet.
The United States plans to move the vaccine to countries that need it most
The United States has mobilized the monkey vaccine in states that have reported cases and plan to move the vaccine where it may be needed, Valenski said Thursday.
“The United States has the resources to help us respond to the monkeypox in this country right now. We have been preparing for this type of outbreak for decades, “she said.
The United States has two preventative vaccines and two antiviral treatments that can be used for orthopox, a family of viruses that includes monkeypox.
“One of these vaccines, under the trade name Jynneos, has been approved for the prevention of monkeypox disease in adults aged 18 and over,” Valenski said. “The CDC has mechanisms in place to move these products around the country so that they can be used to prevent or treat people who can benefit wherever they are.
Punjabi said vaccination against monkeypox was offered to health workers in Massachusetts, where the first case of the outbreak in the United States was identified last week.
“In Massachusetts, I received it as the Jynneos vaccine on Sunday, and we offer it to health care providers who have been at high risk or are eligible under state and CDC guidelines,” Punjabi said.
CDC officials recommend vaccinating people at the highest risk of infection due to direct contact with someone who has monkeypox.
“Currently, as we are in the early stages of investigating this, we know that those at the highest risk of infection are those who have had contact with a known patient with monkeypox, a type of contact that would facilitate the spread. So these are the individuals we’re really focusing on recommending vaccination for now: post-exposure vaccination, “said Dr. Jennifer McQueston, deputy director of the CDC’s Department of Pathogens and Pathology with High Consequences.
“We continue to monitor what is happening and think about whether broader vaccination recommendations would make sense, but we currently have only nine known cases and we have contacts that we have identified related to those cases that would probably be most beneficial. from vaccines, “McQueston said.” So that’s where we’re focusing our energy right now. “
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