w(WGGB/WSHM) – More cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the Bay State.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Thursday that there have been six additional cases in adult males over the past week. The initial confirmations were made through testing at the state’s Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain and confirmatory testing was done by the CDC.
The six new patients are isolating to prevent spread to others.
It brings the total number of monkeypox cases in the state to 13 cases since the first case was announced on May 18.
State officials are now working with the patients, local health officials, and healthcare providers to identify those who may have been in contact with the patients while they are infectious.
Mass. DPH added in a statement:
“Although many of the early cases were associated with international travel, recent cases are not. Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men make up a large proportion of the cases identified to date. However, the risk is not limited to the LGBTQ community, and anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk.”
So far this year, there have been 156 cases of monkeypox in the United States, according to CDC data.
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