New York City is America’s monkeypox hotspot: Metropolis chiefs detect fifth suspected case – as national tally rises to 22
- New York City health officials announced a fifth case of monkeypox in the city, bringing the national total to 22
- It came on the same day that the Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia areas also revealed their first cases of the virus
- No further details about the latest New York City patient have been released, including their sex or whether they had recently returned from abroad
- Most cases being detected around the world have been in gay or bisexual men, with two raves in Belgium and Spain believed to be outbreak points
New York City has detected its fifth suspected case of monkeypox, health chiefs revealed Thursday night — bringing the national tally to 22.
Officials in the Empire state are yet to published any further details on the case, including the patients’ sex and whether they are linked to international travel.
But the new infection makes the city of 8million America’s hotspot for the tropical disease — which is native to West Africa.
Yesterday another four monkeypox cases were spotted, with Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia all reporting their first patients to be struck down with the virus.
Most cases are being detected in gay and bisexual men who have recently returned from international travel. But a number are also being seen in ‘close contacts’ of cases in a sign human-to-human transmission may be taking place on American soil.
Globally more than 700 cases have been detected — with the most in Spain and the UK where tallies have eclipsed 200.
America has now detected 22 cases of monkeypox across 11 states — with Pennsylvania and Illinois yesterday joining the list of cities to detect the virus
Pictured above are the early spot symptoms triggered by monkeypox. After the marks appear they become concave and turn black before eventually falling off
Pictured above are symptoms triggered by a monkeypox infection. Anyone with these warning signs is being urged to come forward
New York City’s new case has tested positive for orthopox virus — the family that includes smallpox and monkeypox.
The sample will now be sent for testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to confirm it is a monkeypox case. It is very likely that an orthopox-positive person has monkeypox.
Revealing its fifth infection yesterday, New York City’s Department of Health said on Twitter: ‘An additional person has tested positive for the orthopox virus in New York City, which is presumed to be monkeypox.
‘To date, five cases have been identified.
‘Monkeypox is rare in New York City but we can prevent the spread. Learn more about prevention and symptoms.’
The first case in the city was in a man who became hospitalized in Manhattan after suffering symptoms of the virus.
No details on the other cases have been revealed.
Monkeypox has now spread to 11 states with the second highest number of cases in California (four).
Florida has three infections while Colorado and Utah both have two.
Georgia, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington, Pennsylvania and Illinois have each reported one infection.
Monkeypox is typically spread through physical contact with infectious skin lesions in patients.
People who are infected initially suffer a fever within the first 21 days, before a rash erupts on their face and spreads to the rest of the body.
It can take up to four weeks for symptoms to clear as the rash goes through several stages before eventually falling off.
Most cases are mild, but between one in 10 and one in a 100 people who are infected die from the disease.
There are far more cases of monkeypox being detected in Europe than the U.S. where the virus may have gained a foothold.
Spain has reported the most cases on the continent (208), followed by England (206) and Portugal (138).
WHO chiefs suggest that the continent’s outbreak is linked to unsafe sex at two raves in Spain and Belgium.
Like in America, its cases are mostly among gay and bisexual men, but health chiefs warn there is nothing stopping the disease spreading into other groups.
There are also mounting calls for the outbreak to be contained, with experts saying that if the virus is allowed to continue to spread it could spill over into the animal population — which would become a reservoir.
On Wednesday, the head of the WHO’s European division Dr Hans Kluge called on people to reduce their number of sexual partners to help stem the outbreak.
He also warned that the tropical disease ‘may not be containable’ in Europe as there are still undetected chains of transmission.
