The US state of New York has declared monkeypox an “imminent public health threat” due to the high incidence of the virus.
New York State Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett, in a statement posted on the State Department of Health website: “Based on the continued spread of the virus, which has grown rapidly to primarily affect populations identified as MSM, and the need for vaccination local authorities, I have declared monkeypox an immediate public health threat in New York State.”
This means that local health departments involved in response and prevention activities will be able to receive additional compensation from the state after using other federal and local funding sources to limit the spread of the virus to residents of the state.
The city of San Francisco, California, previously declared a state of emergency over an outbreak of monkeypox.
Notably, the World Health Organization declared last week that the spread of monkeypox was a public health emergency of international concern, but indicated that the outbreak posed a moderate risk to all regions of the world except Europe. At the same time, the World Health Organization does not recommend countries to carry out mass vaccination against monkeypox and does not yet have data on the effectiveness of existing vaccines against this disease.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that is also transmitted between humans. The disease is usually mild and most people recover within a few weeks, but some may experience complications.
Initial symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and fatigue. A rash may develop, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body.
Source: RIA Novosti