Cases Of Monkeypox Are Rising, Biden Says Be Cautious

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This 1997 image provided by the CDC during an investigation into an outbreak of monkeypox, which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), formerly Zaire, and depicts the dorsal surfaces of the hands of a monkeypox case patient, who was displaying the appearance of the characteristic rash during its recuperative stage. As more cases of monkeypox are detected in Europe and North America in 2022, some scientists who have monitored numerous outbreaks in Africa say they are baffled by the unusual disease's spread in developed countries. (CDC via AP)
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Cases of monkeypox are on the rise, according to the World Health Organization. There have been over 90 reported cases in 12 countries. During his trip to Tokyo, President Biden commented on the current situation.

“I just don’t think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with COVID-19… and the smallpox vaccine works for it… But I think people should be careful.”

Biden also said they are looking into a possible vaccine and that if it were to spread, it could be consequential. In the U.S., there are reported cases in Florida, Massachusetts, and also suspected cases in New York that are being investigated.

Monkeypox is a virus with symptoms similar to those of smallpox, but less severe. First detected in West Africa in the Congo region, the name monkeypox comes from the initial discovery of the virus in monkeys in a Danish laboratory in 1958. The first human case was identified in 1970.

Click ▶️ to listen to AURN Washington Correspondent Ebony McMorris’s report: 

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