Monkeypox A ‘Public Health Emergency’: How Many Cases In WA?

SEATTLE — Public health officials are weighing whether to follow the World Health Organization’s lead and declare a public health emergency as monkeypox cases spread across the country, including in Washington.

Since the first case of monkeypox in the current outbreak was reported in mid-May, the number of people in the United States now infected with the highly contagious disease is approaching 3,500, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Monkeypox has been reported in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In Washington state, there have been 69 confirmed monkeypox cases, the CDC said.

Earlier coverage:

• Limited Monkeypox Vaccines Headed To Washington
• New King County Monkeypox Cases Point To Local Transmission
• Pierce County Identifies 1st Probable Monkeypox Case

New York leads the nation in monkeypox infections. In New York City, more than 1,000 cases have been reported. California and Illinois have each reported more than 300 infections.

The monkeypox virus has rarely been reported outside of Central and West Africa, where host animals include a range of rodents and monkeys. It can be easily spread from animals to humans through a bite or scratch, according to the WHO. The last time the United States saw a sizable outbreak was in 2003, when 70 cases were linked to the import of infected prairie dogs.

• Related: What Is Monkeypox?

Among humans, the virus is chiefly spread through close physical contact, whether sexual or non-sexual, or by handling clothes or bedding used by an infected person. It can also be spread through respiratory droplets. Although it is not classified as a sexually transmitted disease, some U.S. experts say it could become an entrenched STD similar to gonorrhea, herpes and HIV.

So far, monkeypox has primarily affected men who have sex with other men, both in the United States and other Western countries, according to the CDC. But a few cisgender women have also reported infections, according to the CDC. The agency said Friday that two children have monkeypox diagnoses — including a toddler in California and an infant whose family was traveling in Washington, D.C.

• Related: 2 Children Diagnosed With Monkeypox

“The bottom line is we’ve seen a shift in the epidemiology of monkeypox where there’s now widespread, unexpected transmission,” Dr. Albert Ko, a professor of public health and epidemiology at Yale University, told The Associated Press. “There are some genetic mutations in the virus that suggest why that may be happening, but we do need a globally-coordinated response to get it under control.”

Ko called for more testing to shore up gaps in surveillance to get a better picture of monkeypox in the United States. Health officials have expanded monkeypox testing and plan to release another 1.6 million doses of the vaccine in the coming months.

“The cases we are seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” Ko told the AP. “The window has probably closed for us to quickly stop the outbreaks in Europe and the U.S., but it’s not too late to stop monkeypox from causing huge damage to poorer countries without the resources to handle it.”

UCLA epidemiologist Anne Rimoin, who has studied monkeypox for decades, told NPR the United States is “losing daylight” in its response to monkeypox.

“Every day that we aren’t continuing to push forward on all fronts, the less likely it is that we will be able to contain it,” Rimoin said.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.