Washington: The United States has detected 156 cases of monkeypox so far, with the highest incidence of infections reported in the states of New York and California, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
“Total confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases: 156,” the CDC said in a statement released on its official website on Wednesday.
The states of California and New York confirmed 40 and 22 monkeypox cases, respectively, according to the health agency.
The UK Health Security Agency was the first health authority outside Africa to report a case of monkeypox on May 7, in a patient who had recently traveled to Nigeria. Since then, monkeypox outbreaks have been confirmed in many countries across the world.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease that is usually transmitted to people from wild animals and is endemic in some African countries. The disease can be transferred through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The disease usually results in fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.