WASHINGTON — A new cluster of mpox cases in the United States — following nearly seven months of steady decline — is leading health officials to warn of a possible rebound outbreak this summer.
Chicago health officials recently reported 20 new cases and are urging people there to get vaccinated.
Major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York are ramping up public awareness campaigns and vaccination programs, especially targeting men who have sex with men and transgender people.
They warn that cases of mpox, formerly called monkeypox, could easily spread as the summer LGBTQ pride parades get underway.
“Spring and summer season in 2023 could lead to a resurgence of mpox as people gather for festivals and other events,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a health alert on Monday.
The CDC warned that without additional vaccination and other virus-mitigating measures, a rebound outbreak could “be as large or larger than in 2022.”
While anyone can get mpox, the virus has so far largely affected gay and bisexual men in the U.S. It is not a sexually transmitted virus, but close physical contact is the primary mode of infection.
On May 11, the World Health Organization declared the mpox global health emergency over, a year after the virus spread beyond its endemic regions.
The decline in cases over the past year has led to a sharp drop in vaccinations. In Los Angeles County, for example, weekly vaccinations dropped from 8,000 last year to about 100-150 in recent months, officials said.
But Biden administration officials said Tuesday they were not letting down their guard, particularly amid the recent uptick in cases in some places.
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