(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is raising the alarm about the disease. Risk for new mpox casesPreviously known as monkey disease, it appears this summer.
“The spring and summer of 2023 may lead to a resurgence of mpox as people gather for holidays and other events,” the CDC said in an official update on the Health Alert Network on Monday.
The CDC a A collection of mpox cases in the Chicago area The agency, along with its local partners, said in a Monday health advisory that the CDC “continues to receive reports of cases that reflect ongoing community transmission in the United States and internationally.”
Twelve confirmed cases and one probable case of mpox were reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health between April 17 and May 5, according to the CDC. All cases are between men between 24 and 46. All symptoms were observed, but none of the patients were admitted to the hospital. Nine of these 13 cases were among people who received both doses of Jynneos mpox vaccine. The foursome recently traveled to New York, New Orleans and Mexico.
The CDC said in its warning that although cases can sometimes occur among vaccinated people, the vaccine can reduce the severity of infections and reduce the chance of hospitalization.
“The purpose of this Health Alert Network (HAN) health update is to notify physicians and public health agencies of possible new clusters or outbreaks of mpox cases and to provide resources on clinical evaluation, treatment, vaccination, and testing,” the agency said.
Some cities and counties, such as San Francisco, are encouraging people to get vaccinated to prevent a spike in cases this summer.
San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Suzanne Phillips said: “Mpox cases in San Francisco remain low, however, we are alert as many new cases have recently been reported in other parts of the country. He said in a news release last week. “If you received your first dose of mpox vaccine, even if it was in the fall, it’s not too late—now is a great time to get your second dose.”
Empox a Viral disease Although it is spread through close contact and can infect anyone, during last year’s epidemic, the infection was mostly among men who have sex with men. The infection initially causes a variety of rashes that look like pimples or blisters, and other symptoms include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, pain, and fatigue. in Occasionallympox can turn fatal, especially in people with weak immune systems.
Dr. Jay Varma, professor of public health sciences and director of the Center for Epidemic Prevention, said there are questions about how long a vaccine-produced or natural protection against the virus will last, so the potential for new pox cases is high. Reply by Weill Cornell Medicine.
“There is a very high risk of a spike in mpox cases in the next few months. “Perhaps, it may not be as big as last year, and that’s because more people who are at risk have been infected or vaccinated,” Varma said.
But we know that there is a lot of uncertainty about how much protection there is from previous infections or vaccinations, as well as how many people are at risk, because every year. “New teenagers are becoming sexually active adults, so they may be at risk but have not been vaccinated before.” “In these outbreaks, the primary route of transmission of Mpox is sexual contact.”
Overall, the vaccine is safe, effective, and played a major role in reducing the spread of the measles outbreak last year, he said.
“While there is some uncertainty as to whether it will be 80% or 90% or 100% effective and how long it will last, we know that it is better to vaccinate than not to vaccinate,” said Varma, who also serves. On the Board of Directors of SIGA Technologies, the Smallpox antiviral drug TpoxxIt has been used and is being studied in clinical trials as a treatment for mpox.
Until the latest cluster of cases in Chicago, the United States was “down to about one case a day, and those are narrowly limited to one to two counties in the country,” said Lori Tremmel Freeman, executive director of the national association. County and city health officials.
However, Freeman said, only 1 in 4 people at high risk for mpox are fully vaccinated.
“So it’s very concerning that the vaccination levels of people at high risk are not where we need them to be, and now we’re experiencing a new outbreak of cases in the Midwest involving previously vaccinated individuals, even though the symptoms appear to be mild to those who had some protection from vaccination,” Freeman said.
“There’s a lot to unpack here,” she said, “but the vaccine is the best chance to avoid serious illness, including hospitalization and death, and people should get vaccinated two weeks before attending major events where they are at risk.” Exposure to mpox.
This week marks the first anniversary. The first American mpox container The global epidemic that occurred last year. The World Health Organization announced last week that Mpox It is no longer a global health emergency..
WHO Director-General Theodore Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “As with Covid-19, this does not mean the work is over. He said last week.
“Mpox continues to pose critical public health challenges that require a robust, proactive and sustained response,” Tedros said. “While we acknowledge the downward trend in mpox cases globally, the virus continues to infect communities in all regions, including Africa, where it is still poorly understood.
Overall, “pox is still a serious concern” and should be on the “radar” of communities and health care providers, said David Harvey, of National Association of STD DirectorsHe said in an email on Monday.
“One year ago this week, we had an unprecedented mpox outbreak. The public health sector – and especially those of us working on STDs – rallied quickly to mount a strong response. Eventually, more than one million vaccines were distributed. Still, many people remain unvaccinated — especially as the number of cases continues to decline,” Harvey wrote.
“We’re seeing the same issues that we expected to see in Chicago right now, and we continue to be concerned that it’s going to spread through the summer and the festival season,” he said. “The good news is that we know what works and we have the tools at hand to prevent cases again when another outbreak occurs. The vaccine is safe and effective, and can help reduce cases and reduce the severity of symptoms.