CDC Urges Americans to ‘Practice Enhanced Precautions’ amid Monkeypox Concerns

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now urging individuals to “practice enhanced precautions” to combat the spread of monkeypox.

The CDC this week moved the U.S. situation with monkeypox to “Alert – Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions,” although it admitted the risk to the general public is “low.”

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) on May 29 deemed monkeypox a “moderate” health risk and recognized that “early epidemiology of initial cases notified to WHO by countries shows that cases have been mainly reported amongst men who have sex with men (MSM).” That coincided with reports of the outbreaks widely originating with sexual activity taking place at two raves in Europe.

The CDC also recognized that “some cases were reported among men who have sex with men,” although it also added that some cases were reported among people who live in the same household as someone who had the infection.

As a result, the CDC is urging travelers, specifically, to “avoid close contact with sick people, including those with skin lesions or genital lesions.” 

According to the CDC’s map, the U.S. has reported 30 confirmed cases. The United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Canada are reporting the highest figures — 302, 198, 153, and 80, respectively. 

Symptoms include an onset of a “fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes (often in the neck and arm pits), and tiredness,” according to the federal health agency, followed by a rash that occurs “1 to 3 days after the fever begins.” However, again, the CDC notes that “many patients affected have been men who had close social or intimate (including sexual) contact with men.”