INDIANA – Research published by the CDC Wednesday offered new insight into ways the monkeypox virus may be spreading.
While most cases in the current outbreak have been linked to sexual activity, some people have tested positive following close, nonsexual contact with others at crowded gatherings and events, according to the researchers.
According to CDC guidance, “monkeypox can spread to anyone” through close contact, which is often skin-to-skin, as well as intimate contact that includes sex, hugging, massage, and kissing.
An earlier analysis of monkeypox cases by the CDC found that early warning signs of illness are less common in the current outbreak compared with “typical” monkeypox. In about 2 in 5 cases, the illness started with the rash — but no reported prodromal symptoms such as chills, headache, or malaise.
The latest CDC data shows there are more than 13,500 total confirmed monkeypox cases in the US, with the highest number of cases in New York, California, and Florida.
