Physicians Council Provides Information on Monkeypox Virus (MPXV)

In May 2022, clusters of monkeypox cases appeared in several countries where it is not endemic. On July 23, 2022, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox to be a public health emergency of international concern. The United States (US) Secretary of Health and Human Services announced on August 4, 2022, that he will declare the ongoing spread of monkeypox virus in the United States a Public Health Emergency. As of August 12, 2022, CDC reports there have been 11,177 confirmed monkeypox/orthopoxvirus cases in the US and 31,799 cases worldwide (31,424 reported from countries that have not historically reported monkeypox). At least five US cases have been reported to be in children.