There hasn’t been a lot of coverage in the news lately, so we thought it was time to give a brief update! The number of cases of Mpox (previously called monkeypox) is generally decreasing worldwide!
Mpox, previously called monkeypox, is a disease caused by a virus and has symptoms very similar to smallpox, though much less severe. The most common symptoms of Mpox include fever, rash, headache, and swollen lymph nodes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) first declared Mpox a public health emergency in July 2022 and cases peaked in August and September. Since that time, cases have decreased and hit a plateau. In the last 7 days, 13 countries have reported an increase in weekly case numbers while 77 countries have reported no new cases.
All told, we have seen 85,860 cases, 92 deaths, and 100 countries reporting cases worldwide since the beginning of the outbreak. 96.5% of cases with available data identified as male and the median age is 34 years. 84.2% of all cases were in folks who identify as men who have sex with men. 48.1% of all cases were HIV positive. These groups were disproportionately affected by the outbreak. Sexual encounters were the most reported route of transmission while household contact was also a frequently cited route.
Only 1.1% of cases were in the 0-17 age range and only 1 individual reported exposure in the school setting.
It’s definitely good to see case rates coming down! Antiviral treatment is available for people who are at high risk of developing severe disease and vaccines are available for people who have an exposure or are at high risk of exposure. You can read more about treatment and prevention strategies in the links below!
Stay safe. Stay well.
Those Nerdy Girls
—————————————–
Additional Links:
