ARKANSAS, USA — The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) said Wednesday, Aug. 3, that there are six confirmed monkeypox cases in the state. The counties in which the cases have been confirmed are not known at this time.
Back on July 28, the ADH announced the state had seen four cases and at the time, the country only had seen 3,486 positive cases total. Six days later, that number is now 6,326, according to CDC data.
Health officials are now warning of the disease as it continues to see an increase around the country.
"There appears to be two different strains of Monkeypox circulating in the U.S. as part of this large worldwide outbreak and we’re still learning about them," said Dr. Jennifer Dillaha with the Arkansas Department of Health.
Monkeypox spreads through skin-on-skin and close contact. Anyone can get it, but so far this outbreak is primarily impacting men who have sex with men, specifically those with multiple partners, according to health officials.
The U.S. uses two types of smallpox vaccines to fight monkeypox and the CDC recommends that anyone who thinks they have been exposed to the disease get a shot. But that is easier said than done.
Doctors and patients are reporting lengthy delays in test results and a daunting amount of paperwork just to get treatment.
The ADH says the state has a limited amount of doses of the vaccine, and only those who meet two requirements are able to receive it. This includes:
- People who have had close contact with a known or suspected case in the last 14 days
- Those who have had a high-risk encounter where monkeypox has been reported to be spreading
Oklahoma is reporting 10 cases of confirmed monkeypox while Texas has 485.
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