Wyoming Remains Only US State Without a Single Case, Highest Number of Cases in NY State
LYME/OLD LYME — The number of cases in the state has risen to 73 as of this morning, Aug. 19, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.
On Aug. 16, Ledge Light Health District (LLHD) Director of Health Stephen Mansfield confirmed to LymeLine.com by email, “We are aware of one case within our jurisdiction.” The LLHD jurisdiction comprises nine southeastern Connecticut towns, which include both Lyme and Old Lyme.
Wyoming is now the sole state, which has reported no cases.
On Aug. 4, the White House declared monkeypox a public health emergency.
On July 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
The CDC’s 2022 US Map & Case Count includes an ongoing, updated count of monkeypox cases throughout the country. There are 14,115 cases in the US at time of publication of this article.
The states with the highest number of cases at time of publication (Aug. 19) are New York (2,744), California (2,663), Florida (1,372), Texas (1,079), Georgia (1,066), and Illinois (888).
Connecticut’s first case was announced 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,” according to Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT 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.”
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/or the CT DPH monkeypox webpage.
Editor’s Note: Parts of this article are based on a press release issued July 14 by CT DPH and sent to LymeLine.com by Ledge Light Health District.