(Bloomberg) – Nearly all cases of monkeypox in the United States involve close contact, not airborne transmission, U.S. health officials said in response to fears that the virus could spread as easily as Covid-19.
There is no evidence that smallpox is spread through casual interactions such as a conversation or in public places such as grocery stores, said Raj Punjabi, senior director of the White House for Global Health Security and Biosecurity, during a conference call with reporters on Friday.
Concerns about monkeypox are growing as the virus spreads to more than 1,000 cases worldwide. There are no reports of deaths. There are 45 known cases in the United States as of Friday. Most are related to contact with an infected person or travel to another country where cases have been reported, officials said.
The United States is working to expand its testing programs with the help of private companies, said Rochelle Valenski, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States is also working to increase vaccine supplies, although the strategic national stockpile already contains sufficient doses of Emergent BioSolutions Inc.’s ACAM2000. and Bavarian Nordic A / S’s Jynneos – both of which can be used against monkeypox – to vaccinate millions of Americans if deemed necessary, officials said.
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