The CDC is shutting down alarming reports that monkeypox is an STD and encouraging people to be mindful of possible private area rashes seen in patients.
Monkeypox has officially hit the United States, and naturally, panic has ensued. The CDC is now warning Americans about the virus being mistaken for a sexually transmitted disease. In most known cases of monkeypox, rashes usually appear first on the hands. However, health officials report that in current cases, rashes have been appearing around the genitals or anus.
Dr. John Brooks, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, also wants physicians to be knowledgeable about the disease so that people are not being misdiagnosed. One doctor diagnosed monkeypox as a “very severe” herpes case.
“This is why we recommend that all people encountering someone with a new rash or disease that could be monkeypox to get a good travel history and a sexual history,” Brooks advised.
He also shot down reports that monkeypox primarily affected gay males, stating that “by no means is the current risk of exposure to monkeypox exclusively to the gay and bisexual community in the U.S.”
While not as contagious as COVID-19, Monkeypox can be transmitted through respiratory droplets. It can also be spread by coming into direct contact with infected animals or humans. Monkeypox includes more intense flu-like symptoms, including sore throat, upper respiratory virus, cough, swollen lymph nodes, fever, and chills. The rashes and lesions typically start on the face and move to other parts of the body. With adequate medical care, many people make a full recovery within 2−4 weeks. Smallpox vaccines are currently effective against the disease. There are 92 verified cases and 28 probable cases in 12 countries worldwide.
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