Pres. Joe Biden Says Monkeypox Virus Outbreaks Should 'Concern' Americans
President Joe Biden on Sunday said that Americans need to be concerned about the outbreak of the monkeypox virus as cases of the disease continue to emerge.
Biden made his comments before he boarded the Air Force One heading to Japan, Fox News reported, citing Reuters.
"They haven't told me the level of exposure yet, but it is something that everybody should be concerned about," Biden said.
The president also pointed out that his administration is working to figure out what steps should be taken, and if any vaccine may be available for the said disease.
"But it is a concern in the sense that if it were to spread, it's consequential," President Joe Biden said about the monkeypox disease.
Meanwhile, White House Security Adviser Jake Sullivan assured that the United States is prepared and has a supply of remedy or vaccine that is relevant to treating monkeypox.
Sullivan also noted that he is giving monkeypox updates to President Joe Biden to make sure that he is tracking the development of the disease.
Florida Officials Investigate 3rd Possible Monkeypox Infection in the U.S.
The Florida Department of Health in Broward County noted that an individual presumed to have the monkeypox virus is being investigated in their county, per ABC News. The identity of the said person was not mentioned by the authorities.
According to reports, the first case of the monkeypox virus was a Massachusetts man who traveled to Canada. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed his positive test on Wednesday.
On Thursday, another possible cause of the monkeypox virus was observed by the New York City Department of Health. The said patient tested positive for the orthopoxvirus, the family virus to which monkeypox belongs.
The United States is not the only country that saw positive cases of the monkeypox virus. Cases have been reported, including in Britain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Sweden.
Global.health, a data science initiative from Boston's Children's Hospital and Oxford University, has more than 190 confirmed or suspected cases in 16 countries where the disease is not normally found.
Last Friday, the CDC sent out a health alert warning doctors and local health departments to be on the lookout for patients who may have symptoms of monkeypox and report it to their agency.
Monkeypox Virus
Monkeypox virus is usually transmitted from animals to humans, and its symptoms are very similar to those seen in the past smallpox patients, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Monkeypox usually occurs in Central and West Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas.
The said virus can be transmitted from direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals. Meanwhile, human-to-human transmissions can result from close contact with respiratory secretions, skin lesions of an infected person, or recently contaminated objects.
The incubation of the monkeypox virus is usually six to thirteen days. However, it can also range from five to twenty-one days.
Symptoms of the said disease include fever, intense headache, lymphadenopathy, back pain, myalgia, and intense asthenia or lack of energy.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: President Biden Addresses Monkeypox Outbreak During Asia Visit - From NBC News