US health officials: Monkeypox likely spreading by close, intimate contact
US case of virus, usually contracted from infected animals, has no known link to Africa
Published: May 22, 2022 07:35 Bloomberg
Monkeypox is likely being spread from person-to-person by close, intimate or sexual contact with someone who has an active rash, US senior health officials said.
The one US case of the virus, usually contracted from infected animals, has no known link to Africa, where the disease is most commonly found, said the officials, who spoke without being identified as a condition of participating in the call. While the risk to the general public is low, health workers are being alerted to monitor possible cases and use protective equipment when needed, they said.
Unlike the COVID-19 virus, which is spread through the air and respiratory droplets, spreading monkeypox requires much closer contact. Sharing bedding, clothing or a toothbrush with an infected person would create greater risk, the officials said on the call.
New and suspected cases of monkeypox have been cropping up in Europe and North America recent days. The rare and potentially deadly cousin of the smallpox virus is traditionally confined to regions in Africa, but health officials are concerned about its wide spread.
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https://gulfnews.com/world/americas/us-health-officials-monkeypox-likely-spreading-by-close-intimate-contact-1.1653190719208
