The number of monkeypox cases in 11 states has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While most of the cases seem to be related to the outbreak in Europe, two patients have versions of the virus that seems to have evolved from a monkeypox case in Texas.
All but one of the 17 patients the agency has detailed information on were men who had sex with men. There were three patients who were affected by the disease.
C.D.C. researchers haven't been able to figure out how a patient got the virus. It's possible that there is ongoing community transmission in that state.
She said they wanted to increase their efforts.
There are about 400 contacts of 13 patients who are at risk of being exposed to monkeypox. Officials will be able to determine what resources are needed to contain the outbreak.
The White House's senior director for global health security and biodefense, Raj Panjabi, said that health officials have delivered about 1,200 vaccine doses and 100 treatment courses to eight states.
As of Friday, there were almost 800 cases of monkeypox worldwide. Scientists and public health officials are concerned about the spread of the virus outside of Africa.
People who test positive for monkeypox are being asked to stay away from their homes. Britain, which has recorded the most cases, has urged patients to refrain from sex until their symptoms have cleared and to use condoms for eight weeks after that.
Health officials around the world are rushing to get vaccines and treatments to protect people from the outbreak. There are not many options.
The United States has a large amount of vaccine and drugs in case of a repeat of the disease. The vaccine and drugs for monkeypox are expected to be effective.
Most of the drugs and vaccines that are available to fight a monkeypox outbreak have been tested on animals.
In a recent study of seven patients, only one of the two drugs appeared to offer any benefit.
The older of the two vaccine options can cause serious side effects such as heart problems and death. The majority of doses have been in storage for a long time.
The second vaccine option was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the year 2019. In the United States, it is safer than before, but supplies are limited.
Several countries, including Canada, Britain and France, have already begun vaccinations against the disease, and many others have ordered additional supplies.
African countries that have battled monkeypox for a long time have had little to no access to these vaccines and treatments. In Nigeria and six other African countries where the virus is endemic, 44 cases have been recorded so far this year.
Some experts fear that the monkeypox outbreak in Western countries will make it harder for poor countries to get vaccines and treatments. The director of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control saidVaccines and treatments that are being stockpiled elsewhere aren't necessarily shared.
In Switzerland, the World Health Organization keeps about 2.4 million doses of the vaccine used to eradicate the disease, and it has 31 million doses in five donor countries that could be released to countries in need.
The W.H.O. used to only recommend the vaccine for people at high risk of exposure. The experts were supposed to review the guidance in October but will need to be sped up.
The Jynneos vaccine is being assessed by the W.H.O. in order to be used in many countries.
The C.D.C.'s scientific advisers voted in November to recommend Jynneos for immunizing researchers and health care personnel who are at risk.
The U.S. has 100 million doses of a vaccine. About six cases of myopericarditis are caused by the vaccine for every 1,000 people who get it.
It is not possible to use ACAM2000 in pregnant women, infants or those who are immune compromised.
Older adults, people with H.I.V., and those who have received bone marrow transplants are some of the people who have been shown to be safe with Jynneos.
The U.S. had 28 million doses of Jynneos, but they have all expired. According to the federal health officials, there are about 1,000 Jynneos available, but Bavarian Nordic has delivered thousands more in the last few weeks.
The US has access to about one million doses.
Even a few days after exposure, people can bevaccinated. They can be treated with one of the two drugs approved to treat the disease, which slows the virus and gives the immune system time to destroy it.
Monkeypox is what it is. In parts of Central and West Africa, there is a disease called monkeypox. It is not as bad as smallpox. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was discovered in the 50's.
The symptoms are what they are. People who have been bitten by the Monkeypox will have a rash that starts with red marks and grows into a large lump of flesh. Symptoms can take as long as three weeks after exposure to show and can last as long as four weeks. Vaccines and other treatments can be used to stop an outbreak.
What is it that makes it infectious? The virus can be spread through fluids and droplets. It has spread in unusual ways this year and among populations that have not been at risk in the past.
I don't know if I should be concerned. There is a high chance that the virus will be spread during sexual contact, but there is a low chance that it will be transmitted in other ways. The virus can be fatal in a small percentage of cases, but most people recover quickly. Studies show that older adults may be able to protect themselves from vaccine-related diseases.
The F.D.A. approved an oral form of tecovir, also known as Timatpoxx, for use in adults and children who weigh at least 13 kilograms.
The drug, made by the New York-based company Siga Technologies, is taken twice daily for 14 days and does not seem to have serious side effects.
There are 1.7 million courses of tecovirimat in the U.S. The Department of Defense procured another $7.5 million in drug courses on May 12 before the monkeypox outbreak.
Dennis Hruby, chief scientist at Siga, said that a lot of countries have requested courses of the drug. The company expects to have up to 180,000 treatment courses by the end of the month.
Siga and the F.D.A worked together to develop an IV solution. Patients who can't take their medication because of blisters can use this version.
According to Dr. Hruby, Health Canada has purchased $13 million worth of tecovirimat, which was approved in 2020. The European Medicines Agency endorsed the drug in January to treat all orthopoxviruses, but was still negotiating with the company when the outbreak occurred.
When it is unethical to test a drug in people, the F.D.A. uses data from rodents or monkeys.
The agency issued a so-called black box warning, its most stringent warning, on the drug's use because it appeared to have more side effects.
brincidofovir was not observed to give any convincing clinical benefit in the recent study. David Evans, a virologist at the University ofAlberta who consults for Chimerix, said that the study was too small and the treatment regimen offered to the patients were too varied to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of the drugs.
There are limited quantities of vaccinia immunoglobulin that can be given to people who can't take tecovir or brinimatfovir.
The United States is helping to find a cure for the monkeypoxviruses. Horsepox is one of the vaccines that rely on it.
In the long run, it may make sense for the United States to have enough vaccines and drugs to protect the entire population, according to the chief executive of Tonix.
A number of studies show that people who have been vaccined for smallpox may be protected from serious illness. Dr. Lederman said that spreading the virus to other people would be sufficient.
The goal in the case of monkeypox would be to prevent people from getting the disease.
The current outbreak won't have Tonix's vaccine. He said that they would be going slow and steady. Problems aren't going away.
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