The US reports over 27,000 monkeypox cases

 The United States (US) has reported over 27,000 monkeypox cases as of Monday, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

California recorded most of the monkeypox cases. It accounted for 5,278 cases so far. New York recorded 4,039 cases and Florida recorded 2,648 cases.

The first monkeypox case in the United States was reported in Massachusetts in September. The US reported the first death from monkeypox in the same month. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said that the patient who died due to the monkeypox virus was an adult living in Harris County. In the same month, more than 30 children tested positive for the monkeypox virus in the US. According to the WHO, monkeypox cases in the US accounted for 60 percent of cases in August. 

Subsequently, the DSHS advised people to contact their doctors if they experience fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and new rash. The virus typically causes skin rashes on the face and other body parts. Patients also develop a series of symptoms, including fatigue, headache, inflammation, fever, and sore throat.

Reportedly, people exposed to the monkeypox virus are often given one of several smallpox vaccines, which are effective against monkeypox. The US has around one thousand doses of JYNNEOS, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine for smallpox and monkeypox. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency in July as cases were increasing rapidly across the world. 

Earlier, the CDC said that the monkeypox virus can be more severe in young children, pregnant women, and individuals who are immunocompromised. CDC also warned that kids below the age of 8 were more vulnerable to developing severe illness if infected with the virus.