Six States Remain Without a Single Case, Highest Number of Cases in NY State
Editor’s Notes: i) This article is based on a press release issued July 14 by CT DPH and sent to LymeLine by Ledge Light Health District (LLHD).
ii) As of July 25, the number of monkeypox cases in Connecticut has increased to 19 per CDC data and the number of states with no cases has fallen to six (N.Dakota is no longer on the list.) We have requested updated information on where the new cases are located from LLHD but have not received a response to date.
iii) On Saturday, July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The decision was announced after the WHO convened its second emergency committee on the issue on Thursday.
HARTFORD, Conn.— The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) has announced that a total of 11 Connecticut residents have been diagnosed with monkeypox.
All 11 patients are between the ages of 20 and 50, and reside in Fairfield, New Haven and Hartford counties. The majority of these patients have not been hospitalized.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s 2022 US Map & Case Count includes an updated count of monkeypox cases throughout the country.
Seven states have yet to record their first case: Alaska, North Dakota, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Vermont, and Wyoming.
The states with the highest number of cases are New York (489), California (266), Illinois (174)), Florida (154) and the District of Columbia (108).
Connecticut’s first case was announced on July 5.
“Monkeypox spreads through close prolonged contact with an infected person. This might include coming into contact with skin lesions, or body fluids, sharing clothes or other materials that have been used by an infected person, or inhaling respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD.
She added, “Residents who are concerned about fever, swollen glands, and a new rash, should contact their health care provider.”
Diagnostic testing for monkeypox is now available from commercial laboratories, including LabCorp, Mayo Clinic, and Quest, and providers can order testing from these laboratories as they would order other diagnostic tests. Testing is available through the State Public Health Laboratory, Monday-Friday.
Although anyone can get and spread monkeypox, the current cases are primarily spreading among social networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. For those who have multiple or anonymous sex partners, their likelihood of monkeypox exposure is high.
Due to the state’s current low case count, Connecticut has not received a substantial allotment of the monkeypox vaccine from the federal government at this time. More doses are expected in the coming weeks.
Vaccination may be recommended for those who:
“At the present time, our top priority is ensuring access to post-exposure prophylaxis and then expanding to a larger pool of at–risk persons when our vaccine supply allows us to do so,” explained Commissioner Juthani.
For those seeking treatment or additional information on the vaccine and antivirals, contact your health care provider or call the DPH Epidemiology Program at (860) 509-7994 or (860) 509-8000 after hours.
For more information about monkeypox, visit the CDC monkeypox webpage and the DPH monkeypox webpage.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on a press release issued by CT DPH and sent to LymeLine by Ledge Light Health District.