Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Genetic Analysis Identifies 2 Monkeypox Strains In US
Stat: Genetic Data Indicate At Least Two Monkeypox Outbreaks Underway
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that new genetic sequencing data indicate there are at least two distinct monkeypox outbreaks underway outside Africa — a surprise finding that one official said suggests international spread is wider, and has been occurring for longer than has been previously realized. Three of 10 viruses the CDC has sequenced from recent U.S. monkeypox cases — two from 2021 and eight from 2022 — are different from the viruses that have been sequenced by several countries involved in the large outbreak that is spreading in and from Europe. That outbreak is currently being driven by infections in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. (Branswell, 6/3)
AP: 2 Monkeypox Strains In US Suggest Possible Undetected Spread
Analysis from many more patients will be needed to determine how long monkeypox has been circulating in the U.S. and elsewhere, said Jennifer McQuiston of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I think it’s certainly possible that there could have been monkeypox cases in the United States that went under the radar previously, but not to any great degree,” she told reporters Friday. However, she added, “there could be community level transmission that is happening” in parts of U.S. where the virus has not yet been identified. (Stobbe, 6/3)
The Washington Post: Possible Monkeypox Case Found In The District, Officials Say
The first infection with a virus from the family that includes monkeypox has been reported in the District of Columbia, city officials said. The resident is isolating and “does not pose a risk to the public,” the D.C. Department of Health said. The case of orthopox, the family of viruses that includes monkeypox, was reported Saturday in someone who said they had recently traveled to Europe, according to the department. (Weil, 6/5)
San Francisco Chronicle: Here Is What To Look Out For As Monkeypox Cases Crop Up In California And The World
As the still-rare monkeypox crops up around the world, including a San Francisco case now among five in California, people on the alert for the symptoms may not always see the typical patterns and blisters. The rash is there, but experts say it may be subtle, even unnoticed, and it doesn’t always start on the face. As well, the more recent disease may present with or without the flu-like symptoms of traditional monkeypox. “The rash is similar in some senses, and different in others, to what we know about ‘textbook’ monkeypox,” UCSF infectious disease expert Peter Chin-Hong said Sunday. “The major difference in this current outbreak is that the rash appears to start in the genital area and the anus rather than the face or trunk. From the genitals, it can move to the arms and palms of the hands, and sometimes the face, including the mouth.” (Hwang, 6/5)
NPR: Here's What Monkeypox Looks Like In 2022 — And Why Doctors May Be Missing Cases
For the first time in history, the world is facing an international outbreak of monkeypox. Doctors have detected nearly 800 cases across the globe, from Argentina to the United Arab Emirates. The U.K. and Portugal have detected the most cases, with about 200 and 100 cases in each country, respectively. The U.S. has recorded 21 cases and Canada has 58. Such a broad geographic spread suggests "widespread human-to-human transmission is currently underway," said Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, with the World Health Organization, on Thursday. This transmission has "likely been ongoing for several weeks, if not months," she noted. (Doucleff, 6/3)
