NEW YORK — Monkeypox cases have been on the rise across the U.S in recent weeks. As of August 3, there have been 7,510 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the country, according to the CDC.
Most patients with monkeypox may experience symptoms such as fever, body aches, chills and fatigue.
Still, people with a more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.
PIX11 spoke with Dr. Syra Madad, an NYC-based epidemiologist on what people should know about the monkeypox virus. Watch the full interview HERE.
Dr. Madad explained that the virus can be spread through close, personal, or skin-to-skin contact. Monkeypox symptoms typically start within three weeks of exposure.
Currently, one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the disease is that it’s a sexually transmitted disease or only a risk to men who are sexually active with other men.
But local doctors continue to reiterate that monkeypox is a risk to anyone that has direct contact with infected lesions or fluids or contact with contaminated materials like clothing or bedding.
On August 4, the Biden administration declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency in an effort to expedite the process of getting vaccines out to areas in need.
