The United States has identified 20 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox in 11 states as public health authorities step up tests to isolate patients and prevent the virus from spreading to communities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Jennifer McQueston, a CDC employee, said the overall risk to public health remains low at the moment. Most patients in the United States have a history of international travel and are likely to have caught the virus while abroad, but the virus could spread to the country, McQueston said.
“There may be a community broadcast going on, so we really want to increase our monitoring efforts,” McQueston told reporters during a conversation Friday. “We really want to encourage doctors that if they see a rash and worry that it could be monkeypox, they should go ahead and test for it,” she said.
However, there seems to be a higher risk for gays and bisexual men at the moment. Of the 17 patients who provided detailed information to the CDC, 16 identified themselves as having sex with men, McQueston said. Anyone can catch monkeypox through close physical contact, and the CDC has completed case monitoring in all groups in the United States. However, public health authorities are working to raise awareness in the LGBTQ community, McQueston said.
“Our priority is to help everyone make informed decisions to protect their health and the health of their science-led community,” she said.
No monkeypox deaths have been reported during the current epidemic in the United States or Europe, McQueston said. All patients are either recovering or have already recovered, she said. The West African strain of monkeypox is behind the current epidemic, which is less severe than the other strain known as Congo Basin, according to the CDC.
Fourteen of the 17 patients who provided detailed information had a history of international travel to 11 different countries in the 21 days before the onset of symptoms, according to the CDC. The other three patients have either had contact with some cases or do not know how they caught the virus, McQueston said.
Current outbreaks of monkeypox are uncommon because they occur in countries in North America and Europe where the virus is not common. Monkeypox infections are common in remote areas of West and Central Africa, where the virus is often spread from rodents to humans.
The World Health Organization has identified more than 550 monkeypox infections in 30 countries, most of which have been reported in European countries. The sudden outbreak of monkeypox in many countries shows that the virus has been spreading unnoticed for some time outside West and Central Africa, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gebrejesus at a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday.
Some cases of monkeypox in the United States may have gone undetected, McQueston said, but the CDC does not believe the virus is widespread in the home.
The CDC has told people with a confirmed or suspected monkeypox infection to isolate themselves at home until local or state health officials say otherwise. People with confirmed infections should remain in isolation until the skin lesions that characterize the disease disappear completely, the scabs fall off and a new layer of skin forms.
Monkeypox usually begins with flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, exhaustion, and swollen lymph nodes. Lesions then form on the body and the virus spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact with these lesions. In eight cases in the United States, the rash first develops on the genitals or the area around the anus. Smallpox can be spread by respiratory droplets if a person has lesions in their throat or mouth, but it is not easily transmitted in this way.
“The rash caused by the monkeypox virus can spread widely throughout the body or appear in sensitive areas such as the genitals. It can be really painful and some patients report needing prescription pain medications. to deal with that pain, “McQueston said.
People exposed to monkeypox should watch for symptoms for 21 days, according to the CDC. They should check their temperature twice a day and watch for chills, swollen lymph nodes and new skin rashes. If a fever or rash develops, the person should isolate themselves and contact the local health department immediately.
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