Monkeypox Grows In MA, WHO Considers Declaring International Emergency

MASSACHUSETTS — Tuesday afternoon the Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed a fourth case of monkeypox in the state.

The particular patient is an adult male who is in isolation, health officials said. Testing was initially completed last Monday at the State Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be handling the remainder of the testing.

On Sunday, health officials confirmed two more cases of monkeypox in Massachusetts, as more than 50 have now been confirmed across the country and 14 cases have been confirmed in New York alone.

"Most of these people have had mild cases, have not been hospitalized, and have recovered on their own," the update states.

But even mild monkeypox illness can yield itchy and painful sores, health officials noted.

The CDC and DPH workers are currently looking to identify anyone who could have come into contact with the patient while he was infectious and didn't know it.

"While we are in this current outbreak, and even though monkeypox remains rare, people are encouraged to be mindful of their health," Department of Public Health State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown said in a statement. "If you have any symptoms, and especially if you have a rash, it is best to avoid prolonged physical contact with anyone until you are well."

Monkeypox typically spreads by skin-to-skin contact or contact with contaminated clothing or bedding. It's rarely fatal, but patients remain in isolation for safety.

Monkeypox is an infection that has been confirmed in 1,600 people in 39 countries this year, and suspected in 1,500 more, said World Health Organization officials this week.

An emergency WHO committee on June 23 will debate what next steps should be taken as the virus shows "unusual" behavior, the Associated Press reported. They're seriously considering whether to declare it an international health emergency, the same designation as the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We believe that it needs also some coordinated response because of the geographic spread," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The first case of monkeypox was detected in Massachusetts on May 18, and the latest U.S. data shows that there have been nearly 65 cases since.