Washington: The monkeypox virus has likely infected more than 700 people worldwide, including 21 in the US, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention has said. Although overall health risk to the public remains low right now, according to CDC’s Jennifer McQuiston, the cases present a community level spread in the US, CNBC reported. “There could be community-level transmission that is happening, and that’s why we want to really increase our surveillance efforts,” McQuiston told reporters over a call on Friday. “We want to really encourage physicians that if they see a rash and they’re concerned it might be monkeypox to go ahead and test for that,” she said.Further, similar to cases seen in other countries, even in the US there does appear to be a higher risk for gay and bisexual men. Of the 17 patients that have provided detailed demographic information to the CDC, 16 self-identified as men who have had sex with men, McQuiston said. Meanwhile, World Health Organization (WHO) has identified more than 550 monkeypox infections across 30 countries, with most of the cases reported in Europe. The sudden appearance of these cases in multiple countries indicates that the virus has been spreading undetected for some time outside the African regions, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a recent press conference.According to some scientists the monkeypox virus may have been quietly circulating for years before its sudden emergence worldwide, the report said. “There may have been undetected transmission for a while,” said Rosamund Lewis, the WHO technical lead for monkeypox during a briefing. “What we don’t know is how long that may have been. We don’t know if it’s weeks, months or possibly a couple of years.” However, lab sequencing reveals that genetic mutations of the virus are “limited” and that “none of them are smoking guns, virology professor Marc Van Ranst, from the University of Leuven in Belgium was quoted as saying to NBC News.Scientists have also been concerned over the virus’ spread majorly in men who have sex with men, even after not being a sexually transmitted disease. “What’s likely happened is an endemic infectious disease from Africa found its way into a social and sexual network and then was greatly aided by major amplification events like raves in Belgium to disseminate around the world,” Amesh A. Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, was quoted as saying to CNBC. “And then because it’s being transmitted through close contact in sexual encounters, many of the lesions are getting mistaken for other sexually transmitted infections, which may be delaying diagnosis,” Adalja added.—IANS

The monkeypox virus has likely infected more than 700 people worldwide, including 21 in the US, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention has said. Although overall health risk to the public remains low right now, according to CDC’s Jennifer McQuiston, the cases present a community level spread in the US, CNBC reported.

US CDC Expects Global Monkeypox Cases To Be Over 700

Washington: Global cases of the monkeypox virus have surpassed 1,000, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said and urged people to take extra precautions. As of June 6, 1,019 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported in 29 countries, according to the CDC. The UK has recorded the most cases, 302 suspected and confirmed infections, followed by Spain (198), Portugal (153) and Canada (80), CNBC reported. In the wake of rising cases, the CDC also ramped up its alert to a level 2, encouraging people to “practise enhanced precautions” to stem the outbreak, which has spread to 29 non-endemic countries in the past month.The highest level alert, level 3, would caution against non-essential travel. Officials at the CDC also suspect that the monkeypox virus may be airborne at least for “short distances” and thus have asked people and healthcare workers in close contact to wear masks. The CDC on its website has urged monkeypox patients, “especially those who have respiratory symptoms”, to wear a surgical mask. It also asks other household members to “consider wearing a surgical mask” when they are in the presence of the person with monkeypox. So far health officials have not explicitly addressed the possibility of airborne transmission or the need for masks, but they have emphasised the role of large respiratory droplets that are expelled from infected patients and drift onto objects or people, the New York Times reported. Moreover, until recently the current outbreak was thought to have derived from the West African strain of the virus, which produces less severe illness than other variants and has a 1 per cent fatality rate. However, the CDC said that at least two genetically distinct monkeypox variants are currently circulating in the US, which has to date seen 30 cases. “While they’re similar to each other, their genetic analysis shows that they’re not linked to each other,” said Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC’s high consequence pathogens and pathology division, at a press briefing.McQuiston said it is likely that the two strains stem from two different instances where the virus has spilled over from animals to humans in Africa, before spreading via person-to-person contact, the report said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some African countries where the virus is endemic have seen more than 1,400 suspected cases of monkeypox and 56 people have died from it. Notably, there has been no fatalities reported in the recent outbreak in countries outside Africa. “It’s an unfortunate reflection of the world we live in that the international community is only now paying attention to Monkeypox because it has appeared in high-income countries. “The communities that live with the threat of this virus every day deserve the same concern, the same care and the same access to tools to protect themselves,” he noted.—IANS

Global cases of the monkeypox virus have surpassed 1,000, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said and urged people to take extra precautions. As of June 6, 1,019 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported in 29 countries, according to the CDC.

Global cases of monkeypox surpass 1,000: US CDC

Washington: The total number of monkeypox cases in the US has increased to 5,189 as of Saturday, according to the latest update by the Centers for&nbsp;Disease&nbsp;Control and Prevention (CDC).New York accounted for the highest number of cases at 1,345, followed by California (799) and Illinois (419).So far the US has the world's highest tally of monkeypox cases.Health experts said due to the testing bottlenecks across the country, cases are likely being undercounted, Xinhua news agency reported.While federal officials weigh a nationwide public health emergency declaration around the monkeypox outbreak, San Francisco and New York state began sounding the alarm on Thursday.San Francisco became the first major US city to declare a local health emergency on monkeypox in an effort to strengthen the city's preparedness and response amid high demand for the vaccine.The declaration, which will go into effect on August 1, allows city departments to mobilize and coordinate more effectively, Mayor London Breed's office said in a statement.The San Francisco Department of Public Health had confirmed 281 cases of monkeypox after reporting its first case in early June.In New York, state Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett declared monkeypox an "imminent threat" to public health, as the number of cases continues to increase."This declaration means that local health departments engaged in response and prevention activities will be able to access additional state reimbursement, after other federal and state funding sources are maximized, to protect all New Yorkers and ultimately limit the spread of monkeypox in our communities," Bassett said in a statement.New York State has secured more than 60,000 Jynneos monkeypox vaccine doses to date, according to the state health department.So far, 338,000 vaccine doses have been delivered across the country, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized 786,000 additional doses of the Jynneos vaccine, and jurisdictions can place orders starting Friday.The federal government is continuing to monitor the response to monkeypox and will use that to consider whether to declare the outbreak a public health emergency, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said.Since the US reported the first monkeypox case on May 17, cases have kept going up nationwide, with the highest daily case count jumping to 439 on July 15, according to the CDC.The CDC has recently confirmed two cases of monkeypox in children. One case is a toddler who is a resident of California. The other is an infant who is not an American resident.The country has also spotted its first case of monkeypox this year in a pregnant woman last week.Top US infectious diseases official Anthony Fauci said monkeypox poses "a profound risk" to groups including pregnant women and children.—IANS

The total number of monkeypox cases in the US has increased to 5,189 as of Saturday, according to the latest update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

US monkeypox cases spike to 5,189

Los Angeles: Four out of five pregnancy-related deaths in the US are preventable, according to a new report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report looked at data from the Maternal Mortality Review Committees across 36 US states between 2017 and 2019, Xinhua news agency reported. Among pregnancy-related deaths, 22 per cent occurred during pregnancy, 25 per cent occurred on the day of delivery or within 7 days after, and 53 per cent occurred between 7 days to 1 year after pregnancy, according to the report. The leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related death include mental health conditions, excessive bleeding, cardiac and coronary conditions, infection, thrombotic embolism, cardiomyopathy, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, according to the report. "The report paints a much clearer picture of pregnancy-related deaths in this country," said Wanda Barfield, director of CDC's Division of Reproductive Health at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "The majority of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, highlighting the need for quality improvement initiatives in states, hospitals, and communities that ensure all people who are pregnant or postpartum get the right care at the right time," Barfield said.&nbsp;
—IANS

Four out of five pregnancy-related deaths in the US are preventable, according to a new report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 4 in 5 US pregnancy-related deaths are 'preventable': CDC

New York: Prior to 2020, death rates from heart disease had been declining among adults for decades in the US but the increases in death rates from heart disease, particularly high among younger adults, spiked during the Covid pandemic, erasing years of progress, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed.
Death rates from heart disease in the US had been declining among adults since at least the 1990s. However, a review of data in 2020 found that heart disease death rates increased across adults in all age groups, sex, race and ethnicity groups, particularly among younger adults and non-Hispanic Black adults, according to the lead study author Rebecca C. Woodruff from the CDC.
"The increases in death rates from heart disease in 2020 represented about 5 years of lost progress among adults nationwide and about 10 years of lost progress among younger adults and non-Hispanic Black adults," said Woodruff.
The preliminary research is set to be presented at the American Heart Association's 'Scientific Sessions 2022' in Chicago from November 5-7. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of daily life, including access to preventive health care, which may have led to delays in detecting and treating heart disease. "We expected to see an increase in heart disease death rates among adults, however the magnitude of the increase was striking," Woodruff added.
From 2010 to 2019, the national heart disease death rate dropped by 9.8 per cent. However, in 2020, the rate increased by 4.1 per cent. Increases in heart disease death rates were particularly high among younger adults, who experienced approximately 10 years of lost progress.
Among 35- to 54-year-old adults, deaths from heart disease fell by 5.5 per cent from 2010 to 2019, yet they jumped by 12 per cent in 2020.
Among 55- to 74-year-old adults, heart disease death rates were down by 2.3 per cent between 2010 to 2019, yet they increased by 7.8 per cent in 2020, the findings showed.
Researchers also noted that while the findings need further investigation, growing evidence suggests people who have had Covid-19 infection may be at an increased risk for new or worsening cardiovascular disease, which may have been a factor in the rising rates from 2019 to 2020.
Other factors associated with the pandemic lockdown, such as lack of physical activity, increased smoking and increased alcohol use, all contributed to the higher cardiovascular death rates, said American Heart Association President Michelle A. Albert. "These social determinants of health have a larger effect on people who are economically disadvantaged, Black people, Hispanic people and indigenous and native individuals, so then you have a domino effect resulting in higher death rates and more disease among these populations," Albert said.
Woodruff added that the CDC is actively investigating heart disease trends after 2020 to see how the trends have evolved. —IANS

Prior to 2020, death rates from heart disease had been declining among adults for decades in the US but the increases in death rates from heart disease, particularly high among younger adults, spiked during the Covid pandemic, erasing years of progress, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed.

Heart Disease Death Rates Up During Pandemic, Young Adults At Most Risk: US CDC

New York: Covid-19 vaccines and boosters are effective against the highly transmissible sub-lineages of Omicron -- XBB and its subvariant XBB.1.5 -- the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said.
First seen in August, XBB.1.5 now accounts for nearly 90 per cent of all Covid-19 cases reported in the US, the CDC said.
According to officials, a "bivalent" booster that targets both the initial strain of the virus and the original Omicron variant, would be more protective than the original "monovalent" vaccine as the virus continues to evolve, the USA Today reported.
The latest CDC study found that, despite the mismatch in variants, the booster remains protective against XBB. "There is incremental or additional protection from getting the bivalent on top of those past monovalent doses," Ruth Link-Gelles, the paper's first author, was quoted as saying to the media.
The prevalence of XBB.1.5 has kept increasing since late last year, and it is estimated to account for 89.2 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in the US this week, up from 85.4 per cent last week and 79.7 per cent two weeks prior, Xinhua news agency reported.
Early study suggests XBB.1.5 has a couple of concerning mutations that suggest it is even more contagious than other strains, possibly the most transmissible one so far.
While XBB.1.5 is spreading easier, scientists said it does not seem to cause more severe disease.
However, a separate study, which hasn't yet been peer-reviewed, suggests that protection against Covid fades within about three months against XBB, faster than against other variants.
Being vaccinated can reduce the risk of death 13-fold compared to being unvaccinated, the CDC officials noted. They added that taking boosters provides a two-fold reduction in risk. —IANS

Covid-19 vaccines and boosters are effective against the highly transmissible sub-lineages of Omicron -- XBB and its subvariant XBB.1.5 -- the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said.

Covid Vax Effective Against Highly Contagious XBB Variant: CDC

New Delhi: As the world started to lead a normal life after three years of the pandemic and its heavy toll, the US is once again grappling with a new set of Covid-19 variants. The late-summer surge in Covid cases has affected schools, workplaces and local governments as the number of hospitalisations continues to rise.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week recommended that everyone 6 months and older get an updated Covid-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of illness this fall and winter.
Updated Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were set to be made available later this week.
“Vaccination remains the best protection against Covid-19 related hospitalisation and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of long Covid, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration,” said CDC in its fresh update.
The virus that causes Covid-19 is always changing, and protection from vaccines declines over time.
“We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from Covid-19,” said CDC Director Mandy Cohen.
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved newly-formulated Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that are more closely targeted to current variants of the disease.
The new Covid vaccines target the XBB.1.5 variant, which was dominant when vaccine makers began to formulate and test a new version.
They are monovalent because, unlike the earlier boosters, they do not include protection against the original virus that caused widespread infections three years ago.
“Covid-19 remains a leading cause of death in the US and poses a significant threat to vulnerable populations, particularly as we enter peak respiratory virus season. As the primary circulating strain continues to evolve, updated vaccines will be critical to protecting the population this season,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel had said in a statement.
Moderna said that its updated Covid-19 vaccine contains spike proteins for the XBB.1.5 sublineage of SARS-CoV-2 to help prevent the disease in individuals 6 months of age and older.
The new vaccines arrived as the US saw a 16 per cent jump in the SARS-CoV-2 virus-related hospitalisations.
The CDC data last week showed an increase in hospitalisation — a trend that began rising in late July.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) also warned of “concerning trends” for Covid ahead of winter.
While there is not currently a single dominant Covid variant worldwide, the EG.5 Omicron subvariant is on the rise. The highly mutated BA.2.86 subvariant has also been detected in 11 countries.
In the US, health officials are urging people to get vaccinated as soon as the shots are available, amid growing concerns about the effects that the triple threat of respiratory viruses — coronavirus, flu and respiratory syncytial virus — may have this fall and winter season.
“Vaccination remains critical to public health and continued protection against serious consequences of Covid-19, including hospitalisation and death,” said Dr Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
Looking ahead, “barring the emergence of a markedly more virulent variant, the FDA anticipates that the composition of Covid-19 vaccines may need to be updated annually, as is done for the seasonal influenza vaccine,” according to the FDA.
—IANS

As the world started to lead a normal life after three years of the pandemic and its heavy toll, the US is once again grappling with a new set of Covid-19 variants

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US CDC Expects Global Monkeypox Cases To Be Over 700

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US CDC Expects Global Monkeypox Cases To Be Over 700

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