As Monkeypox Outbreak Grows Nationally, Cases Remain Rare in US Military

Cases of monkeypox have nearly doubled this month across the United States, but the illness remains rare in the U.S. military community, with just four patients contracting the virus since the start of the global outbreak.

A Defense Department spokesman said July 8 that four patients across the DoD have been diagnosed with monkeypox. He declined to say where they were located but, according to reports in June, at least one patient lived in Hawaii while another, an active-duty service member, was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany.

There were 767 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S. and its territories as of July 9, nearly twice the number -- 396 -- reported June 30.

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The first case in the U.S. was reported May 18 in Massachusetts by a man who had returned from a trip to Canada. As of July 9, 37 states and the District of Columbia have reported cases, with California, New York and Illinois accounting for roughly half of them.

No deaths have occurred, but the virus can cause painful lesions that last for several weeks.

The global outbreak began in early May in the United Kingdom and has since spread to 57 countries, infecting 8,238 people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Biden administration announced last month that it would expand access to testing and vaccines, partnering with five commercial lab companies to offer testing and shipping 296,000 doses of vaccines to local health departments to stockpile or use.

The CDC also has changed its recommendation guidelines for the vaccine, from those who have a confirmed exposure, to include those with a presumed exposure. According to the CDC, this means people who have had close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox, as well as gay, bisexual and transgender men who have engaged in sex with multiple male partners in areas where monkeypox is spreading.

Monkeypox is far less contagious than COVID-19 or the influenza virus, spread mainly through direct contact with a person with the disease -- with their rash, scabs or body fluids or with objects or fabrics that have touched an infected person's lesions, scabs or fluids, according to the CDC.

It can spread from the time symptoms start until the pox are fully healed and covered with a fresh layer of skin -- a process that can take several weeks.

A 2010 U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases study found, however, that -- at least in monkeys -- the virus can transmit via fine droplets in the air, a "route of secondary transmission" behind close contact.

The Army Public Health Center and the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center have launched reference pages and portals containing clinical guidance and preparation for monkeypox cases, including information on surveillance, investigation and contact tracing.

The information, NMCPHC officials said, is "provided to raise awareness in support of military forces while maintaining a strong readiness and response posture."

"A few cases have occurred within the military population and additional cases are expected though the overall risk for the military remains low," they wrote. "NMCPHC is tracking this situation closely and will continue to provide updates as information becomes available."

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime

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