Nada Hassanein | (TNS) Stateline.org The number of U.S.
mpox cases has more than doubled compared with last year, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been urging clinicians across states to encourage vaccinations for those at risk. As of May 25, the nation had seen a roughly 150% increase in cases of the disease formerly known as monkeypox — from 434 at that time last year to 1,089 this year, according to the CDC . About a third of the cases are in New York state, New York City (which the CDC reports separately), New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Anyone can contract mpox , a viral disease that can cause a rash, pain severe enough to require hospitalization and — in rare cases , primarily in patients with other complications — death. But during 2022’s U.S.
outbreak, the contagious infection mainly affected men in gay and bisexual communities. While it’s not a sexually transmitted infection, mpox can be passed through skin-to-skin contact, respiratory droplets or contact with bodily fluids. June is Pride Month, and public health experts are concerned about a potentially higher caseload this summer as people gather for large celebrations.
Experts are encouraging vaccination outreach, especially to Black and Hispanic LGBTQ+ people, who are less likely to be vaccinated and more likely to face barriers to getting care. Those who are at highest risk for mpox, including men who have sex with men and people with advanced HIV, should receive two doses, f.
