The monkeypox virus has reached all 50 states in the U.S., with Wyoming the last state to report a case. In a statement, Wyoming's department of health said it had identified its first case, a resident in Laramie County.
According to CDC data, there are currently 15,433 reported cases of monkeypox in the U.S. New York State has the most with nearly 3,000, followed by California, Florida, and Texas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that monkeypox infections continue to rise globally, with the majority of cases being reported in Europe and North America.
Nearly 7,500 monkeypox cases were reported last week, a 20% increase over the previous week. To date, there have been more than 35,000 cases spanning 92 countries, resulting in 12 deaths.
The FDA issued an emergency use authorization allowing healthcare providers to administer less of the monkeypox vaccine amid an escalating outbreak in the U.S. that is outstripping supply.
In a press briefing at the White House, the FDA commissioner acknowledged the spread of monkeypox has outpaced vaccine supply and said the new dosing method — intradermally rather than subcutaneously — will multiply the total number of available doses by up to five.
Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order declaring a monkeypox emergency in New York State. "More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York State," she said. The order expands the pool of individuals who can administer the monkeypox vaccine and requires providers to send vaccine data to the state's department of health.
Monkeypox Executive Order Kathy Hochul New York State
WHO declared monkeypox a public health emergency.
During a press conference, World Health Organization director Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus declared that monkeypox, an outbreak that has spread "through new modes of transmission about which we understand too little," meets the criteria of an emergency under International Health Regulations.
According to WHO, there are more than 16,000 reported cases, including five deaths, from 75 countries. The current risk of monkeypox is moderate in all regions, except in Europe where the risk is high.
The White House announced its monkeypox vaccine strategy in response to a rise in reported cases in the United States.
In the coming weeks, the administration will allocate 296,000 doses of the two-dose Jynneos vaccine, the only FDA-approved vaccine specifically for monkeypox. Of those, 56,000 doses that are already in the Strategic National Stockpile will be allocated immediately, focused on communities most at risk. Roughly 1.6 million additional doses will become available over the coming months.
The White House also noted that monkeypox is much less transmissible than COVID-19 and the current monkeypox outbreak has not caused any deaths in the U.S.
The World Health Organization (WHO) addressed the rising cases of monkeypox in at least eight European countries — Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK — and explained more about the "rare viral disease."
According to a statement, monkeypox is endemic to the tropical rainforests of Africa. However, all but one of the roughly 100 cases detected in Europe are not linked to travel to endemic countries. Monkeypox is mostly transmitted to humans from wild animals, but can be spread between humans. Most cases of monkeypox are mild and most of those infected will recover within weeks without treatment.
Australia, Canada, and the U.S. are also among non-endemic countries that have reported cases of monkeypox. The U.S. detected its first case this year in Massachusetts and health authorities in New York City are investigating a possible case at a hospital in Manhattan.
According to the CDC a case of Monkeypox has been confirmed in Maryland. After nearly 40 years with no reported cases, Monkeypox reemerged in Nigeria in 2017. Since then there have been 218 cases identified including 8 travelers. A case was identified earlier this year in Texas.
