CDC Says Only High-Risk Monkeypox Patients Should Get Tpoxx
At a White House briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned the risk of causing mutations in the monkeypox virus through the use of antivirals, and indicated a new study will monitor for mutation warnings. Meanwhile, a survey showed monkeypox awareness grew during summer.
The Washington Post:
TPoxx Antiviral Should Only Be Given To High-Risk Monkeypox Patients, CDC Says
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday recommending that TPoxx, the only drug available to treat monkeypox, be limited to people at high risk for severe disease even as the outbreak that has infected more than 22,000 Americans shows signs of plateauing. ... At a White House monkeypox briefing Thursday, Anthony S. Fauci, medical adviser to President Biden, said resistance is always a risk when using antiviral drugs. He said a recently launched study of TPoxx will track signs of mutation that could lead to resistance. The study is expected to enroll more than 500 patients across 60 U.S. sites. (Sun and Diamond, 9/15)
In other monkeypox news —
Axios:
Monkeypox Awareness Surged Over The Summer
The public has quickly become familiar with monkeypox and how it spreads, but more than a quarter of Americans say they’re not likely to get vaccinated if exposed to the virus, according to a new Annenberg Public Policy Center survey. (Bettelheim, 9/15)
Politico:
Biden’s Monkeypox Adviser Is Trying Manage A Virus While Dodging Talk Of Satanism
Demetre Daskalakis has become caricatured as a tattooed oddity among buttoned-up bureaucrats. The truth is far different. “I wish I were that interesting,” he says. (Daniels, 9/15)
Axios:
Health Agencies Work To Address Racial Gaps In Monkeypox Vaccine Coverage
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday launched a pilot program to set aside up to 50,000 doses of JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine for groups disproportionately affected by the outbreak who've faced barriers accessing the shots. (Dreher, 9/16)
Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Monkeypox In Southern Nevada Wastewater Is On The Rise
Wastewater surveillance earlier this week detected the monkeypox virus in samples at most of Clark County’s wastewater treatment plants, signaling a potential increase in cases, a researcher said Thursday. The finding is “rather strange” since the virus had not been detected in county wastewater for two to three weeks, said Edwin Oh, a researcher and assistant professor with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. (Hynes, 9/15)
