San Francisco, New York on alert as Monkeypox cases rise

• San Francisco and New York state officials declared health emergencies.
• Federal officials are considering a nationwide public health emergency.
• Over 4,900 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the U.S.

Due to monkeypox outbreaks, San Francisco and New York state officials declared health emergencies on Thursday, while federal officials are considering declaring a nationwide public health emergency.

The designations, which follow the World Health Organization’s identification of the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency of worldwide concern last week, allow local and state agencies to access additional resources and better coordinate their operations.

According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, which declared a local emergency on Thursday, there were 261 confirmed cases of monkeypox in San Francisco as of Thursday, with almost 800 cases in California overall.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, New York state, which declared an imminent threat to public health, has more than 1,200 confirmed cases.

Over 4,900 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the United States.

According to WHO, monkeypox is a viral disease that is “transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding,”

Monkeypox had typically been found primarily in Africa, although instances began to be reported overseas in May.

Although transmission can occur through sexual contact, it can also occur through close physical contact between people or infected items, according to experts, and is not a se*ually transmitted disease.

“Stigma and discrimination can be as lethal as any virus, and can feed the pandemic,” Tedros cautioned.

“This is an outbreak that can be stopped, if countries, communities and individuals inform themselves, take the risks seriously, and take the steps needed to stop transmission and protect vulnerable groups,” Tedros said.

“The best way to do that is to reduce the risk of exposure. That means making safe choices for yourself and others.”

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