The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights that case identification was critical to limiting the spread of the disease.
“We have seen manifestations of monkeypox that are mild and sometimes limited to only a few areas of the body, which is different from the classic manifestations seen in endemic West Central African countries,” said Rochelle Wallinsky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“This has raised concerns that some cases may go unnoticed or go undiagnosed,” he added, calling for more vigilance among medical professionals and the general public.
Existing cases do not always have flu-related symptoms, such as fever, body aches, and swollen glands that usually precede a characteristic flu outbreak.
Also, while rashes usually appear all over the body, many current cases only show this symptom in certain areas.
“It is important to note that cases of smallpox can have similarities to some sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes, and can be confused with other diagnoses,” Walinsky said.
The United States has so far reported 45 cases of infection, double the number recorded last week, with no deaths associated with these reports.
As of June 9, about 1,300 cases have been identified worldwide, the director said.
The transmission of this disease requires close and prolonged contact between two people. The United States is particularly dependent on vaccination to contain the epidemic.
The official said the country has 100 million doses of the ACAM2000 vaccine, but is on track to get doses of another, more modern vaccine, Genus.
At the end of May, the US had only 1,000 doses, Dawn O’Connell, a health department official, said Friday.
He added that another 300,000 doses are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
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