As monkeypox cases continue to rise, Dr. Anthony Fauci warns the US that this virus shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The CDC explains that monkeypox is a pox virus related to cowpox and smallpox. The virus looks like a pimple and blister-like lesions causing flu-like symptoms.
CNN adds, “The lesions typically concentrate on the arms and legs, but in the latest outbreak, they’re showing up more frequently on the genital and perianal area, which has raised some concerns that monkeypox lesions may be confused with sexually transmitted disease.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director and President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, says that people need to take it more seriously.
“Whenever you have the emergence of something like this, you are always probably looking at what might be — might be, we don’t know — the tip of the iceberg, so that’s the reason why we’ve got to get the testing out there in a much, much more vigorous way.”
The virus spreads through close contact, and touching objects that have been contaminated with the virus likely spreads the virus. Though it’s not sexually transmitted, CNN reports it’s mainly been spreading among men who have sex with men.
Fauci believes the number of people infected with the virus is much higher than recorded. At least 700,000 vaccines are expected to be distributed to communities.
He adds, “Because you want to protect the people at risk, not only the people who might have had an exposure that they know of, but also people, by virtue of the fact that they’re in a risk situation, that they need to get vaccinated.”
