THE dramatic spike in monkeypox cases has prompted the CDC to set up a new alert center as the number of infections in the US hits 306.
The CDC said it launched its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to deal with the influx of cases across the country.
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The EOC “states the [CDC] to further increase operational support” to cope with the rapid spread of the virus, read a statement on the health authority’s website.
The response center is home to 300 employees who will work with local, national and international partners to stop the spread, the statement said.
It comes as the CDC ramped up its monkeypox testing capacity last week by sending test kits to five commercial labs.
It said the move was aimed at “increasing testing, leveraging established relationships between clinics, hospitals and commercial labs, and supporting our ability to better understand the magnitude of the current monkeypox outbreak.”
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The US has seen a dramatic spike in monkey pox cases in the past seven days.
California has recorded the most confirmed cases – 66 – while New York has lagged behind.
Cases in the Big Apple jumped 60 percent in just four days this weekend, NBC New York reported.
The official New York City website revealed on Monday that 48 people had tested positive — a number that has now risen to 63.
“Most of these people have had mild illness, have not been hospitalized and have recovered on their own,” the website explains.
“Even with mild illness, monkey pox rashes and sores can be itchy and painful.”
The website adds that the spread has mainly taken place among “social networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men”, and warned that the community is now “at greater risk of exposure”.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the total number of confirmed cases of monkeypox/orthopoxviruses in the US reached 244 as of Monday, 4 p.m. ET.
On Wednesday, Illinois clocked 45 infections, followed by Florida at 27 and DC at 20, according to the CDC’s cashpox tracker — bringing the total number of cases in the US to 306.
Arizona, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oregon and Rhode Island have all registered one case.
The CDC has released new guidelines on identifying monkeypox during the outbreak.
Traditionally, people with monkey pox have developed fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, and muscle aches.
The symptoms are followed by a rash that starts on their face or mouth and then spreads to other parts of their body – especially the hands and feet.
However, in some recent cases, patients first developed a rash in the mouth or around the genitals or anus.
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And instead of widespread rashes, some patients saw scattered or localized lesions in areas other than the face, hands, or feet.
Sometimes flu-like symptoms developed after the rash, but other people didn’t have those symptoms at all.
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