EXPLAINER: What is monkeypox and should New Yorkers be worried?
New Yorkers are hearing about a potential new infectious disease threat from monkeypox just as the city is grappling with a summer surge of COVID cases.
Unlike COVID, no New Yorkers have died in the monkeypox outbreak. But doctors say there is still reason to be concerned.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a rare disease that belongs to the same virus family as smallpox.
The viral contagion was first discovered in research monkeys in 1958 — hence the name. However, the first infection in a human was discovered in 1970 in a small child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo according to the World Health Organization.
Monkeypox primarily occurs in Central and West Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas.
Prior to the 2022 outbreak, nearly all monkeypox cases in people outside of Africa were linked to international travel to countries where the disease commonly occurs, or through imported animals.
Digitally-colorized electron microscopic (EM) image depicting a monkeypox virion (virus particle), obtained from a clinical sample associated with a 2003 prairie dog outbreak, published June 6, 2022. The image depicts a thin section image from a human skin sample. On the left are mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right are the crescents and spherical particles of immature virions. (Smith Collection/Gado/)
How do you know if you have monkeypox?
According to the WHO, the onset of symptoms usually occurs within the first five days of infection including fever, intense headache, muscle aches and lack of energy.
A second set of symptoms begins within 1-3 days of the onset of fever and includes a rash concentrated on the face, hands, and feet. It can also appear in or on the mouth, genitalia and eyes. The rash turns into small lesions, similar to chickenpox, which eventually clear.
Most people recover within two to four weeks without the need for hospitalization.
Can you die from it?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox is rarely fatal.
Does it spread like COVID?
No. Unlike COVID, monkeypox is not a respiratory illness and according to the CDC, the virus can spread from person to person through:
direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids
respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex
touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids
an infected mother via the placenta to a fetus
In this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention handout graphic, symptoms of one of the first known cases of the monkeypox virus are shown on a patient's hand on June 5, 2003.
What caused the current outbreak?
Health officials do not know the exact origin, but previous outbreaks started with travel from Africa or imports of animals from the region.
Why are most of the cases in gay or bisexual men?
The outbreak is spreading much more widely among men who have sex with other men, but doctors stress the virus is no more likely to infect the LGBTQ community than anyone else.
The outbreak apparently began spreading much more widely after sexual activity at two recent spring party events in Europe that were popular with gay men.
A medical laboratory technician inactivates suspected monkeypox samples to be PCR tested at the microbiology laboratory of La Paz Hospital on June 6, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (Pablo Blazquez/)
Can monkeypox be treated, and is there a vaccine?
Monkeypox generally responds well to treatment and doctors recommend that suspected patients be isolated to avoid spread.
Vaccines for smallpox are effective at preventing infection and can also be given to patients who already have the disease. It limits symptoms and reduces the chance of serious illness or death.
A two-dose vaccine called Jynneos is licensed to prevent smallpox and specifically to prevent monkeypox. Supplies are extremely limited, but the U.S. is working to swiftly acquire more vaccines.
Labcorp, a global life sciences company, announced on July 6, 2022, that it will begin testing for monkeypox using the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) orthopoxvirus test, which detects all non-smallpox related orthopoxviruses, including monkeypox.
Should New York be worried?
The city has identified 141 cases of monkeypox as of July 7, a large chunk of the approximately 600 cases in the U.S.
That’s still a relatively small number, but many cases are likely going undetected. And the New York City numbers doubled in just the past couple of weeks.
Can New Yorkers get a vaccine?
The city appears to have gotten off to a slow start in making vaccines available but is trying to play catchup, obtaining some 6,000 doses this week.
It is offering free vaccination through the MedRite chain of urgent care clinics and says anyone in a high-risk group like men who have sex with men or multiple partners is eligible for the shot.
However, New Yorkers say appointments have been hard to find, and the city admits the clinics are booked solid until next week.
