Though at much lower levels than those seen in 2022, cases of mpox are still occurring among U.S. gay and bisexual men Three cases uncovered in late 2023 were found in unvaccinated gay/bisexual men who'd had multiple sexual partners Vaccination is a sure way of warding off the painful, sometimes fatal, illness THURSDAY, June 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Though not at numbers seen in the 2022 outbreak, mpox cases are still circulating in the United States, largely among gay and bisexual men, new government data shows.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) viral illness in the United States during 2022 sickened more than 32,000 people and killed 58.
The outbreak ebbed after education campaigns and vaccinations among high-risk groups were initiated. However, mpox remains a global threat, with a major outbreak unfolding in central Africa. And now a new report finds sporadic U.
S. cases of mpox are still occurring among men who have sex with men. The study involved 196 people treated at 13 U.
S. hospital emergency departments between June and December of 2023. The patients were selected because they showed up with rashes that were compatible with the rash seen with mpox disease.
Forty-five percent were female and 20% were children. Of the total cohort, only three people (1.5%) turned out to have mpox.
All three were gay or bisexual men who hadn't been vaccinated for mpox and said they'd had multiple sexua.
