The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a public health warning about a possible resurgence of mpox this summer after receiving data showing ongoing community transmission in the country.
Contrary to what the World Health Organization (WHO) says Announce Last week, when the mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) outbreak ended and was no longer considered a public health emergency of international concern, new reports showed a growing number of transmissions.
The CDC said it continues to receive case reports, adding that it is currently investigating a cluster of mpox cases in the Chicago area with the help of local partners. The new cases prompted warnings from public health agencies.
“The spring and summer of 2023 could lead to a resurgence of mpox as people gather for festivals and other events. The purpose of this Health Alert Network (HAN) health update is to inform clinicians and public health agencies of the potential for new clusters or outbreaks of mpox cases, and provide resources on clinical evaluation, treatment, vaccination, and testing,” CDC wrote on its website.
Between April 17 and May 5, 12 confirmed cases and 1 probable case of mpox infection were reported in the Chicago area. They were all men, and none were hospitalized. Nine of these patients received two doses of the JYNNEOS smallpox and mpox vaccines.
Last year, the United States declared a health emergency following a global outbreak of the viral disease in the spring of 2022. At the peak of the outbreak, the country was recording about 460 cases a day, according to the U.S. Department of Health. new york post.
However, at the recent IHR Emergency Committee meeting, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the mpox outbreak officially over, while presenting data showing a continued decline in global cases, down nearly 90% over the past three months.
While Ghebreyesus said mpox should no longer be considered a public health emergency, he stressed the importance of maintaining surveillance and response capabilities as the virus continues to spread in some places.
In March, the CDC warned that mpox could make a comeback later this year and start a new wave worse than last year due to a lack of efforts to vaccinate high-risk groups. The agency estimates that only 23% of the “high-risk population” has been fully vaccinated against mpox.
Published by Medicaldaily.com