Curious how many monkeypox cases are in WA? This interactive map shows the latest numbers
Since the first confirmed case of monkeypox in the United States on May 17, over 6,300 cases have been reported in all but two states — Montana and Wyoming, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Washington state’s first presumptive case of monkeypox was reported on May 24, and 123 cases have been reported in total across the state, according to the CDC.
Washington state’s Department of Health is reporting a slightly higher case number of 154 as of Tuesday, with 134 of those being in King County. Pierce County is next closest with six cases, while eight other counties such as Benton County have one or more cases.
The University of Washington Virology Laboratory is offering polymerase chain reaction tests for monkeypox and can produce a result within one to two days.
“We also have all of our sequencing up,” Alex Greninger, assistant director at the lab, stated in a news release. “The same things that we’ve done for COVID-19, we’ll be doing for monkeypox, as well.”
Cases have been trending upward nationally, with 439 cases reported on July 25. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates its numbers every Wednesday as soon as all possible cases have been verified.
The following map uses data from the CDC to display how many cases of monkeypox have been reported in each state. The map updates automatically when new CDC data is available. As of the most recent update on Wednesday morning, New York had the most cases in the nation with 1,617, followed by California at 826.
How does it spread, and what are the symptoms?
Monkeypox spreads primarily through close contact with infected people, typically through direct contact with the skin or body fluids of an infected individual, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The CDC also warns against touching fabrics and objects that have come into contact with someone with monkeypox and have yet to have been disinfected.
Aside from lesions, other signs of monkeypox can include flu-like symptoms, a rash that looks like raised bumps filled with fluid anywhere on the body, and swollen lymph nodes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine called Jynneos for monkeypox for those over the age of 18. The CDC recommends two shots of the vaccine to prevent or cure monkeypox, and that although no data is available yet on the effectiveness of the vaccine, it can take 14 days for it to be maximally effective.
The CDC has also approved a vaccine called ACAM2000 to be used against monkeypox, despite it only being used for smallpox in the past.
To prevent spread, the state’s health department recommends that those who test positive should isolate for as long as they have a rash of any kind. People with a rash should avoid skin-to-skin contact and sexual contact for as long as it persists. Humans can also obtain the virus from contact with infected animals.
