Politics & Government
Florida Closing In On 2,000 Monkeypox Cases In Half The Counties In The State
Florida is closing in on 2,000 cases of monkeypox, a disease that can cause a painful, characteristic rash and other symptoms.
August 30, 2022
Florida is closing in on 2,000 cases of monkeypox, a disease that can cause a painful, characteristic rash and other symptoms, with half of the counties in the state showing at least one or more infections.
Find out what's happening in Across Floridafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In addition, cases have continued to climb for some children, teens and young adults in Florida, although federal and global health officials have said most cases are related to contact between men. Still, anyone can get a monkeypox infection, according to the health officials.
Overall, there have been 1,913 cases across 33 of Florida’s 67 counties, as of Tuesday, according to the latest data from the Florida Department of Health. Most infections have been in South Florida, with Miami-Dade County reporting 704 cases and Broward County reporting 578.
Find out what's happening in Across Floridafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Other counties with the most cases include Orange (150); Hillsborough (124); Palm Beach (86) and Pinellas (85). Duval has reported 25 cases and Seminole has 21 cases.
And while the largest numbers of monkeypox cases are among adults from ages 30 to 44, the numbers are rising for younger adults, teens and young children.
Data show 402 monkeypox cases in the 30-34 age group, followed by 337 in the 35-39 age group and 288 in the 40-44 group.
The data also show 19 cases in the age group of 15-19, and 94 cases in the age group of 20-24, as well as two infections among the age group of 0-4. Also, the 25-29 group has 248 cases.
However, state health officials have dismissed the idea of implementing new safety measures at public K-12 schools in the state, as previously reported by the Florida Phoenix.
The Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news site that’s free of advertising and free to readers, covers state government and politics through a mix of in-depth stories, briefs, and social media updates on the latest events, editorial cartoons, and progressive commentary. The Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.
