According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are 21 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox in 11 states.

Monkeypox Virus

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According to the New York Times, most US cases seem to be related to the European outbreak of the disease, while two patients have been exposed to different versions of the virus.

The CDC said in a report released Friday that of 17 patients with confirmed cases of monkeypox, 16 identified themselves as men who have sex with men and 14 had traveled to other countries before their symptoms began.

The overall public is not at a great health risk and the CDC wants to increase our surveillance efforts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most people recover within two to four weeks without specific treatments.

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Raj Panjabi, senior director for Global Health Security and Biodefense in the White House, told reporters that there would be more cases and more tests in the US.

Key Background

There have been cases of monkeypox in a number of Western countries since early last month. Two weeks ago, the US reported its first infections. Nigeria continues to report cases in a large outbreak that started five years ago, but other parts of the world are not affected by the disease. According to the director of the CDC's division of high-consequence pathogens and pathology, there are two different monkeypox outbreaks occurring outside of Africa, suggesting the disease has been spreading for longer than expected. Men who have sex with men are involved in many of the cases that have been reported. It can be spread by close contact with an infectious animal, person or materials.

The New York Times reports that 21 Americans have been diagnosed with monkeypox.

The CDC warns of community spread of monkeypox.

There are at least two separate monkeypox outbreaks going on.