Key points

• Wayne County has reported its first mpox case since the 2022 global outbreak.
• This is the 19th case in Michigan in 2024.Mpox is a viral illness spread through close personal contact or respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact.
• Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and a rash resembling blisters.
• Health officials assure the public that the risk remains low but urge those at risk to get vaccinated.
• Free vaccinations and low-cost testing are available through Wayne County Public Health

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads through close personal contact with an infected individual’s rash, scabs, or bodily fluids. It can also be transmitted through respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact. The virus causes symptoms like fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and respiratory issues, followed by the appearance of a rash that looks like blisters or pimples.

In this latest case, officials have stressed that the risk to the general public remains low. They recommend that anyone who is at higher risk for contracting the virus should get vaccinated. Vaccination is especially important for people who may have been exposed to the virus or are considered at higher risk of exposure.

The county health department is urging those who have received only one dose of the vaccine to get the second dose as soon as possible for full protection. The mpox vaccine requires two doses, spaced four weeks apart, for complete effectiveness. The vaccine is available for free at Wayne County Public Health clinics, and testing services are provided at little to no cost.

While mpox does not spread easily between people, Wayne County officials continue to monitor the situation closely to prevent further spread. They are working to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and proper precautions to limit transmission.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed about mpox, especially those in at-risk groups. The public health department remains committed to keeping the community safe through accessible testing and vaccination options.

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Key points

• The Philippines confirmed its first mpox case of 2024, involving a 33-year-old man with no travel history.
• The patient exhibited fever and rashes, typical symptoms of mpox.
• The virus is under investigation to determine if it is the new, deadlier Clade 1 strain spreading in Africa.
• Mpox spreads through close contact and can be dangerous to vulnerable groups.
• The WHO declared mpox a global health emergency, with over 17,000 cases and 500 deaths reported worldwide this year.

The Philippines has reported its first mpox case this year, just days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global health emergency. The patient, a 33-year-old Filipino man, showed symptoms more than a week ago, despite having no recent travel history outside the country. His condition has raised concerns about the virus’s potential spread within the Philippines.

The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed that the man began experiencing fever over a week ago, followed by a distinct rash on his face, back, and other parts of his body, including the palms and soles of his feet. The rash is a common symptom of mpox, a virus related to smallpox but generally causing milder symptoms.

The health department announced that this is the country’s 10th confirmed case since the mpox virus was first detected in the Philippines in July 2022. All previous patients have recovered, and there have been no fatalities reported from the virus in the country.

“We are awaiting the sequencing results to determine which strain of mpox is responsible for this case,” said DOH spokesperson Albert Domingo. The concern is whether this case involves the new, deadlier variant of mpox (Clade 1), which has emerged in recent outbreaks, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency after a resurgence of the virus in Africa led to outbreaks in several countries. This declaration came in response to the rising number of cases in the DRC, where the virus has infected thousands and led to over 500 deaths this year alone. Clade 1, the newer strain, has spread more rapidly and with a higher fatality rate compared to the previous variant, Clade 2b, which caused global outbreaks in 2022.

Health officials emphasize that the public should remain vigilant, though the risk to the general population is still considered low. Mpox primarily spreads through close contact with infected individuals, and the patient’s lack of travel history suggests the virus could already be circulating within the country.

Mpox typically causes flu-like symptoms, such as fever and body aches, followed by the development of painful, pus-filled lesions. While the disease is usually mild, it can pose serious risks for vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

The Philippines is ramping up testing efforts and remains in close coordination with the WHO to monitor and contain the virus. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa reassured the public, saying, “Our health system is working, and we will continue to keep the public informed.”

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Mexico and Cuba have reported the deaths of two people who had tested positive to monkeypox, although neither country attributed the fatalities to the viral disease. Τhe reports follow monkeypox related deaths reported in Brazil and Ecuador in the past month, but fatalities remain extremely rare in the current outbreak.

The Pan-American Health Organisation has reported at least 21,200 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the Americas, while more than 80 countries worldwide have reported new cases of the illness, which is endemic in parts of Africa. Mexico’s health ministry on Tuesday said experts were investigating the death of an HIV-positive patient who had died from septic shock and pneumonia after testing positive for monkeypox. Mexico has reported 386 confirmed and 862 probable cases of monkeypox infection.

Cuban authorities said a 50-year-old Italian man died on Sunday after being diagnosed with monkeypox on Saturday. The public health ministry said the tourist, who had arrived on August 15, had been in an unstable condition since Thursday and rapidly deteriorated. The ministry pointed to an autopsy report that reported the cause of death as sepsis linked to pneumonia and organ damage.

The World Health Organisation has warned that people with underlying immune deficiencies could be at risk of more serious symptoms and death after contracting monkeypox. Nearly 45,000 monkeypox infections have been reported worldwide since May.

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Paris: French researchers have documented the first case of a dog with confirmed monkeypox virus infection that might have been acquired through human transmission. Published in medical journal The Lancet, a team from the Sorbonne University in Paris recorded the case of monekypox virus in two men who have sex with men: an HIV-positive Latino man, aged 44 years, living with undetectable viral loads on antiretrovirals; and a HIV-negative white man, aged 27 years.

Twelve days after the onset of monkeypox symptoms, their male Italian greyhound, aged 4 years and with no previous medical disorders, tested positive for the virus. The men, who are non-exclusive partners living in the same household, presented with anal skin ulcer 6 days after sex with other partners.

In the Latino man, anal skin ulcer was followed by rash on the face, ears, and legs, while the white man had it on the legs and back. In both cases, rash was associated with weakness, headaches, and fever 4 days later.The dog, who was co-sleeping with the men, presented with mucocutaneous (involving both typical skin and mucous membrane) lesions, including red, tender bumps with white pus on abdomen and anal skin ulcer.

The team sequenced monkeypox virus DNA from the dog and the Latino man and found that the samples contained virus of the hMPXV-1 clade, lineage B.1, which has been spreading in non-endemic countries since April. “To the best of our knowledge, the kinetics of symptom onset in both patients and, subsequently, in their dog suggest human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox virus,” Sophie Seang,from theA University’s Infectious Diseases Department, along with her team wrote in the paper.

Given the dog’s skin and mucosal lesions as well as the positive monkeypox virus PCR results from anal and oral swabs, we hypothesise a real canine disease, not a simple carriage of the virus by close contact with humans or airborne transmission (or both),” the team added.In endemic countries, only wild animals (rodents and primates) have been found to carry monkeypox virus.

However, transmission of monkeypox virus in prairie dogs has been described in the US and in captive primates in Europe that were in contact with imported infected animals. But infection among domesticated animals, such as dogs and cats, has never been reported, the researchers said, suggesting the need to keep pets away from infected patients.

“Our findings should prompt debate on the need to isolate pets from monkeypox virus-positive individuals,” the team said, calling for further investigation on secondary transmissions via pets.

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The observational study, which has been carried out in three sexual health units in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​determines that almost half of the patients analyzed presented complications that required medical treatment, mainly to reduce the pain associated with proctitis (25 %), tonsillar ulceration (11%) and penile edema (8%).

Three patients even required admission for complications derived from these manifestations. Furthermore, all participants presented skin lesions, in the anogenital or perioral region. Another relevant conclusion of the research points to “skin-to-skin contact” during sexual intercourse as the “dominant factor” in the transmission of monkeypox, over airborne transmission.

On the other hand, they concluded that, given the short incubation period, pre-exposure vaccination of high-risk groups is likely to be more effective than post-exposure vaccination for infection control. Finally, the researchers note that viral loads are “surprisingly” higher in swabs (the samples collected) from skin lesions compared to relatively low levels in pharyngeal swabs.

Therefore, they point out that this fact “must be investigated further to find out if respiratory transmission is viable and consequently guide the decision regarding home respiratory isolation of those affected.” In the evaluation of the 181 confirmed cases used, 175 (98%) were men, 166 of whom were identified as men who have sex with men.

The 12 de Octubre University Hospital, the Germans Trias University Hospital – Fight Against Infections Foundation and the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital collaborated in the study, with the participation of the London School for Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Last May, the first autochthonous cases of monkeypox were reported in Europe, giving rise to an international outbreak. Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international health emergency, its highest level of alert, due to the current outbreak of this disease, which on August 5 already totaled more than 26,000 cases (seven of them fatal) in nearly 90 countries, many of them in Europe, where the disease was not endemic.

The United States remains the country with the most reported cases, with 6,307, followed by Spain (4,577), Germany (2,839), the United Kingdom (2,759) and France (2,239). EFE

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The death occurred on Monday, August 8. Ecuador registered 10 cases of monkeypox virus, the last three were identified in Azuay, Los Ríos and Santa Elena. Ecuador records the death of a patient suffering from monkeypox, however, the disease was not the cause of death, clarified the Ministry of Public Health (MSP).

The death occurred on August 8, as a result of a “pre-existing pathology” of the patient, said Francisco Pérez, Undersecretary of Public Health Surveillance. Pérez explained that so far the country has registered 10 cases of monkeypox, including the deceased patient.

The last three reported cases are people between 20 and 49 years old, who were identified in the provinces of Santa Elena, Los Ríos and Azuay. They are stable in their homes and under surveillance; In addition, the epidemiological fence with his close contacts has been lifted.

The Undersecretary of Public Health Surveillance announced that it is investigating whether there is a relationship between these three cases; If the investigations conclude that there was no relationship, it could be determined that they were community infections, which will be reported at the time, Pérez said. Of the people suffering from the disease, currently four have already come out of isolation, while another five remain isolated.

The Ministry of Health called on citizens to maintain biosafety measures, such as hand hygiene with soap and water or alcohol gel. In case of symptoms, it is recommended to wear a mask and see a doctor. Before the death of the person sick with monkeypox was confirmed, the first case of contagion had been confirmed in Santa Elena. Ecuador confirmed the first case on July 6. According to a statement from the Ministry of Public Health, it was a 30-year-old patient who presented symptoms related to that disease.

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A four-year-old from Pforzheim has contracted monkeypox. It is the first case of a child in Germany. When it comes to quarantine, the local health department follows a clear line. There was speculation on the social network Twitter on Saturday, followed by official confirmation on Monday afternoon: a four-year-old girl was infected with monkeypox in Pforzheim. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), this is the first case of monkeypox in a child in Germany.

“The infection was caused by a close contact in the household,” said a spokesman for the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Health. “The child has not developed any symptoms of the disease so far.” The child was therefore examined as a precaution after a case became known in the household. A throat swab then showed that the child was infected.

“Another household member is under health surveillance,” the spokesman continued. There should therefore be no other close contacts of the child who tested positive outside of the household. A total of 127 monkeypox cases had been reported in Baden-Württemberg by Monday afternoon, according to the RKI there are 2,916 nationwide.

Quarantine for those affected and household members

Angelika Edwards says there have already been three cases of monkeypox in Pforzheim. But these were adults, explains the deputy head of the Pforzheim/Enzkreis health department. “Children have really only rarely been affected so far.”

A clear line is being followed during quarantine: three weeks are set for those affected and close household members. In addition, one asks about the beginning of the symptoms and contact persons. As a result, the chances of preventing other people from being infected by the person concerned are very good. In general, however, emphasizes Edwards, further cases of monkeypox can also be expected in Germany. Transmission requires “really close physical contact”, which could also be hugs.

Regardless of this case, the RKI says in its general assessment of monkeypox cases: “According to current knowledge, transmission in this outbreak occurs primarily in the context of sexual activities, currently especially in men who have sexual contact with other men.” There are only seven female cases in Germany.

Two cases in young people from Stuttgart and Erfurt have become known – and now with the case from Pforzheim, for the first time, the case of a child. The RKI recently explained the danger: “As far as is known, most of those affected do not become seriously ill.”

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The Biden administration declared on Thursday monkeypox an emergency in public health as cases continue to increase throughout the US. The announcement was made at an information session by officials from the Department of Health and Human Services. The administration has come under fire in the past for its treatment of the outbreak and some have asked authorities to proclaim an emergency across the country immediately.

Since the very first US monkeypox outbreak was reported in the middle of May, over 6,600 cases, either confirmed or suspected, have been discovered throughout the United States. There have been cases identified across every state, with the exception of Montana in Wyoming and Montana.
The announcement follows an announcement by the World Health Organization announcement last month that monkeypox was an emergency for public health that is of international significance. WHO defines an emergency in public health of international significance, or PHEIC to be “an extraordinary event” that is an “public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease” and “to potentially require a coordinated international response.”

Some states and cities such as New York City, San Francisco, California, Illinois and New York, have already declared monkeypox an emergency situation, which allows them to release funds and resources to fund their response to the outbreak.

On Tuesday the president Joe Biden named Robert Fenton as the White House’s national monkeypox coordinator. Fenton is an area Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator who is responsible for Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada is expected to coordinate responses by the Federal government to this outbreak. Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control of the United States and director for the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, serves as the deputy coordinator.

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Three states declared state of emergency in order to step up public health response to the outbreak of monkeypox. Governors from California and Illinois declared their state of emergency on Monday, as the total number of confirmed cases of monkeypox across the country exceeded 5,800, according to CDC count. They were following New York, which declared an emergency on Friday.

Nearly every state within the US – with the except for Montana and Wyoming – has reported at least one confirmed case of monkeypox. Three states that have the emergency orders currently in effect are also the ones that have the highest rate of cases. Other states with higher case rates compared the population they serve, like Georgia and Georgia, are expanding tests and vaccinations, but have not yet announced similar state-wide measures.

Monkeypox usually begins with symptoms that resemble flu like muscular aches and fevers that can progress into a massive itchy rash. But , with the present outbreak, some patients have suffered only the rash or smaller lesions that could be mistaken with other ailments. The virus is spread from people by contact with close proximity, generally for long periods, and also by touching surfaces with infected.

New York became the first state to issue an state-wide order regarding the disease following the health department declared monkeypox as an “imminent threat to public health.” Governor. Kathy Hochul said the executive order will speed up responses to state’s outbreak, which includes the need to get more New Yorkers vaccined.

“After reviewing the latest data on the monkeypox outbreak in New York State, I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our aggressive ongoing efforts to confront this outbreak,” Hochul stated in the declaration. “More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York State, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond.”

Then , over the weekend officials from New York City declared their own public health emergency . They declared that the city is “currently the epicenter of the outbreak” with more than 150,000 residents in danger of monkeypox. On the morning of Monday New York, the largest state in the nation has confirmed more than 1400 cases of monkeypox, according to CDC information. New York is ahead of the states with the highest incidence rate in relation to the population, The Hill reported.

The declaration of a state of emergency typically allows governors and local government agencies to deploy the resources needed to areas affected faster. If declared in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic in the past, these orders allowed officials access to a stockpile in medical supplies. Governors may also temporarily suspend specific regulations and rules during the event of a health emergency. This permitted them to implement the masking of mandates, lockdown orders as well as other restrictions during the time of the pandemic.

In the case of monkeypox, the New York emergency expands the number of people who are able to administer the vaccine to include EMS pharmacists, EMS workers, and midwives, as per Hochul.

When Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared an emergency in public health Monday, he said it would “expand the resources” needed to deal with the outbreak. Illinois is one of the states that has one of the highest number of monkeypox cases recorded, with 520 cases after California with over 820 instances.

“The Monkeypox Virus is a rare, but potentially serious disease that requires the full mobilization of all available public health resources to prevent the spread,” Pritzker stated in a Twitter declaration Monday.

California issued its warning later Monday to boost the state health department’s educational efforts, and to seek out additional vaccines for monkeypox, and permit EMS personnel to administer doses as they do in New York.

“California is working urgently across all levels of government to slow the spread of monkeypox, leveraging our robust testing, contact tracing and community partnerships strengthened during the pandemic to ensure that those most at risk are our focus for vaccines, treatment and outreach,” California Governor. Gavin Newsom said in an announcement.

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Today President Biden appointed the FEMA’s Robert Fenton as the White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis as the White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator. Fenton along with Daskalakis are expected to direct the administration’s strategies and actions to fight the current outbreak of monkeypox and will ensure that there is a fair increase in the number of tests, vaccines and treatments.

Robert Fenton currently serves as Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 9 in the American West, with nearly 50 million people living in his responsibility area. One of the nation’s most effective and experienced emergency management experts, Robert Fenton has twice been the Acting Administrator of FEMA and has led numerous challenging emergency response, prevention and recovery operations throughout his lengthy and distinguished career, which included for natural disasters, diseases outbreaks, and complicated humanitarian operations.

Demetre Daskalakis is a prominent public health specialist and director of the CDC Division of HIV Prevention. He is a nationally recognized expert in health issues that impact those in the LGBGQIAand communities of color, her practice is focused on providing treatment for those who are not served LGBTQIAand communities. He previously managed the control of infectious diseases at The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, one of the largest agencies in the country and was also the an incident commander for the city’s COVID-19 response.

Fenton and Daskalakis together have more than 40 years of expertise with Federal Emergency response as well as public health management, which includes managing the operation and implementation of crucial elements of Biden’s intervention to combat the COVID-19 epidemic, and directing local as well as Federal Public Health Emergency initiatives including controlling infectious diseases and HIV prevention. Both played a key role in creating COVID vaccines more accessible to communities that are not served and in closing the gap between equity and adult vaccination rates through the establishment and implementation of FEMA mass vaccination programs in some of the nation’s poorest communities, as well as working with the community’s trusted residents to improve vaccine confidence.

“We look forward to partnering with Bob Fenton and Demetre Dasklalakis as we work to end the monkeypox outbreak in America,” said U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. “Bob’s experience in federal and regional response coordination, and Demetre’s vast knowledge of our public health systems’ strengths and limits will be instrumental as we work to stay ahead of the virus and advance a whole-of-government response.”

“Bob Fenton and Dr. Daskalakis are proven, effective leaders that will lead a whole of government effort to implement President Biden’s comprehensive monkeypox response strategy with the urgency that this outbreak warrants,” said Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the Biden President. “From Bob’s work at FEMA leading COVID-19 mass vaccination efforts and getting vaccines to underserved communities to Demetre’s extensive experience and leadership on health equity and STD and HIV prevention, this team will allow the Biden Administration to further accelerate and strengthen its monkeypox response.”

Fenton along with Daskalakis will oversee and coordinate actions to combat the virus throughout all of the White House and all Federal agencies and departments. They will collaborate together with state, local and national stakeholders to track and fight the spread of monkeypox. working with local and state partners to ensure that they have the right resources to treat, test and vaccine at-risk patients along with health professionals and clinicians regarding available tests, treatments and vaccine options, and working with stakeholder groups on developing an understanding of the virus among the public and ways to combat the issue most effectively.

Since the first monkeypox case was discovered within the United States on May 18 in the year 2000, the Biden-Harris Administration has had a extensive and aggressive plan to stop the spread of the disease and safeguard those who are most at in danger. This Administration has made more than 1.1 million doses the vaccine available to cities and states across the nation to stop spreading the disease. It has increased the number of tests available from 6,000 weekly tests to more than 80,000 tests per week and regularly communicated with health professionals and local health departments, encouraging patients to use tests more frequently. This Administration is also making treatment easier for patients and health professionals and has also established a comprehensive outreach plan to engage with health professionals, public health officials and members of the LGBTQIAand community in order to raise awareness of the virus and also to promote prevention as well as response and treatment strategies. The Administration also recently unveiled its monkeypox research agenda hoping to inspire the global community to pinpoint and close any gaps in knowledge about the virus in order to speed up and increase the response of the world.

In the next few months, with the direction by Fenton and Daskalakis The Administration will accelerate and advance the United States’ monkeypox response to slow spreading of this virus. ensure that those who are most susceptible to contracting the disease, and take care for those affected by it.

More details about Robert Fenton and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis is available below:

Robert Fenton, White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator

Robert Fenton serves as Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 9 in the American West, with nearly 50 million residents in his jurisdiction. He has more than 25 years of experience in Federal emergency response, which includes acting twice as the acting Administrator of FEMA and most recently in the initial month of the Biden Harris Administration. As acting Administrator during the start of the Biden Administration, Fenton oversaw FEMA’s massive vaccination efforts which brought vaccination facilities in some of the nation’s most under-served communities. Fenton also was the Chief Response Officer in Operation Allies Welcome, where he was in charge of efforts to relocate 76,000 Afghan refugees on a record-breaking timeframe.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator

The Dr. Demetre Daskalakis serves as Director of the Division of HIV Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control, which is where he supervises HIV prevention initiatives. The Dr. Daskalakis worked in the CDC COVID-19 response as a leader in health equity and as head of the vaccination task team. Before joining CDC in the year 2000, Dr. Daskalakis served as New York City Department of Health’s Deputy Commissioner for its Division of Disease Control. In this position as Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Daskalakis oversaw many of the city’s HIV as well as STD educational and intervention programs. He contributed to bringing HIV prevalence to a historic low. He was also the Incident Commander during COVID-19, and Measles outbreaks. He has written more than 60 academic papers and is widely acknowledged for his knowledge and advocacy for health issues that affect people of the LGBTQIA+ communities.

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