How does monkeypox spread? What you need to know as US cases rise

CDC

While the number of monkeypox cases in the United States remains low, the rising number of infections from this rare virus has some people asking how exactly it spreads.

The United States and the World Health Organization have both declared public health emergencies over the spread of monkeypox.

There have been 9,492 monkeypox cases confirmed in the United States, with California and New York reporting the most cases, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That’s a jump from mid-July, when about 1,000 cases were confirmed across the nation, McClatchy News reported.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus related to the smallpox virus, the CDC reported.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, sore throat, congestion, cough, and, most notably, a rash that can look like pimples or blisters, according to the agency.

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Monkeypox was first identified in humans in 1970, and until recently confirmed cases had mostly been found in western and central African countries. The first U.S. case in the recent outbreak was confirmed in Massachusetts in May.

The virus is similar to smallpox, so some smallpox vaccines have been found to be effective against monkeypox. The U.S. has an “ample” supply of one of the two effective vaccines, McClatchy News reported.

Here’s what you need to know.

How does monkeypox spread?

The virus spreads through direct contact with the rashes, scabs or bodily fluids of a person who is infected, according to the CDC.

“It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex,” the CDC said.

Monkeypox can spread from the time symptoms appear and through when the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.

A pregnant person also can spread monkeypox to their fetus, the CDC said.

Can humans catch monkeypox from monkeys?

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease, meaning it originates in animals but can spread to humans.

It was first discovered in monkeys in 1958, hence the name, but scientists believe it may be more prevalent among rodents, the New York Times reported.

Animals susceptible to monkeypox include rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, non-human primates and other species, according to the WHO.

Humans can catch monkeypox from infected animals in the same ways they can from other humans, including contact with blood, bodily fluids or rashes.

“Eating inadequately cooked meat and other animal products of infected animals is a possible risk factor,” the WHO said.

Who can catch monkeypox?

“Monkeypox can infect anyone,” Dr. Marshall Glesby, the associate chief of the division of infectious diseases at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, told McClatchy News.

People with underlying immune deficiencies and children are most susceptible to catch monkeypox, but it’s rarely fatal, The New York Times reported.

One strain found in Central Africa has a 10% mortality rate, but no deaths have been reported outside Africa in the current outbreak as of Aug. 10, according to the publication.

Cases in recent years have seen a 3% to 6% mortality rate, the WHO said.

Nevertheless, the outbreak has health officials concerned.

“In most patients, monkeypox causes extreme pain and discomfort for several weeks in many parts of the body,” Dr. Jay Varma, Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention and Response, told Healthline.

“In some situations, the pain can be so severe that it requires hospitalization, the rash can leave permanent scars on the skin or get infected with bacteria, and/or the disease can cause damage to the brain, eyes, and lungs,” Varma said.

How long does the monkeypox virus live on surfaces?

A person can become infected after touching materials and surfaces that another infected person has touched, including fabrics, bedsheets and more, the CDC reported.

The monkeypox virus was found to live for 15 days in a patient’s home after they left it empty, especially in dark, cool, and low humidity environments, the agency said. It advises disinfecting surfaces and clothes with an EPA-registered disinfectant.

Is the monkeypox virus airborne?

Scientists are still researching how well the monkeypox virus spreads through respiratory secretions from when a person who is infected coughs, sneezes, talks or laughs., according to the CDC.

But that doesn’t mean the virus is airborne, the agency said.

“Airborne transmission occurs when small virus particles become suspended in the air and can stay there for periods of time,” the CDC reported.

But the monkeypox virus is found in droplets of saliva, which fall out of the air quickly. There have been no reports of long-range transmission of monkeypox thus far.

Is monkeypox an STD?

Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease, but it can spread through intimate physical contact, such as sex.

Although the majority of monkeypox cases so far have occurred among men who have sex with other men, that doesn’t make it an STD, said Dr. Seth Blumberg of the University of California, San Francisco.

Research shows viral particles can be present in semen, but it’s unclear whether monkeypox spreads that way, as sexual activity would mean being in contact with rashes and other bodily fluids as well.

“However, in the same way that hikers should not be blamed for the persistence of Lyme disease, no one should be blamed for the persistence of monkeypox because of their sexual practices,” Blumberg said.

“In fact, anyone can get monkeypox and I would be concerned about close contact between any two people when one of them has a rash,” he said.

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