Once rare among service members, monkeypox has now climbed to 40 cases in the U.S. military.
As of July 8th, only four cases had been reported in the U.S. military. Since that number has multiplied by ten, the military is scrambling to protect its members. Thankfully, death from the virus is extremely rare, and none have been reported among the affected soldiers.
This latest revelation comes less than four weeks after the Army Public Health Center and the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center wrote that the “overall risk for the military remains low.”
On Thursday, the Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency, allowing federal funds to go towards fighting the quickly spreading virus.
“President Biden has called on us to explore every option on the table to combat the monkeypox outbreak and protect communities at risk,” stated National Monkeypox Response Coordinator Robert Fenton.
Since the onset of the global outbreak in May, more than 7,100 Americans have been diagnosed with monkeypox. Per the CDC, there are over 31,000 reported monkeypox cases worldwide.
Though less contagious than COVID-19 or the influenza virus, monkeypox still remains a serious threat. The virus is most commonly transmitted through direct contact with the lesions or rash of a person with monkeypox. The large bumps are usually painful and take several weeks to heal.
Currently, there are two vaccines for monkeypox. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Jynneos to prevent monkeypox and smallpox. The ACAM2000 vaccine has been approved for smallpox but is used for monkeypox in some cases. ACAM2000 is much more restrictive and cannot be used on patients living with HIV or other autoimmune disorders.
