Monkeypox Outbreak Among Gay Men Coming To U.S. After First Case Reported In MA
Thanks a lot, gays! Via Stat:
The United States confirmed a case of monkeypox infection on Wednesday in a man who recently traveled to Canada. It is not yet clear if the man, who lives in Massachusetts and who traveled to Canada by car, is connected to the growing outbreak of monkeypox cases in Europe.
“Given that we have seen now confirmed cases out of Portugal, suspected cases out of Spain, we’re seeing this expansion of confirmed and suspect cases globally, we have a sense that no one has their arms around this to know how large and expansive it might be. And given how much travel there is between the United States and Europe, I am very confident we’re going to see cases in the United States,” said Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC’s division of high consequence pathogens and pathology.
Maria Van Kerkhove, who leads the emerging diseases and zoonoses unit in the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said Spain has now confirmed some cases and other countries will join this list.
Most of the cases have been detected in men who are gay, bisexual, or are men who have sex with men, she confirmed, but cautioned against over-focusing on that fact.
“We’re finding where we’re looking,” Van Kerkhove said, noting that countries have been contacting sexual health clinics asking about patients with unusual rashes.
[Stat]
