Georgia has the fifth most monkeypox cases of states in the U.S., according to latest CDC data

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,403 confirmed cases in Georgia as of Wednesday.

That’s the fifth-highest of any state.

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Monkeypox transmission typically requires skin-to-skin or skin-to-mouth contact with an infected patient’s lesions. People can also be infected through contact with the clothing or bedsheets of someone who has monkeypox lesions.

It also can be spread through contact with respiratory droplets, but scientists are still trying to figure out how often that happens. British health officials say they haven’t confirmed any instances of airborne transmission.

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A large percentage of cases have been among gay and bisexual men. The initial outbreaks in Europe and North America were likely triggered by sex at two raves in Spain and Belgium.

Still, anyone can catch the virus if they are in close contact with an infected person or fabrics that touched an infected person.

On Aug. 15, the Georgia Department of Public Health announced that it launched an online portal to schedule appointments for the monkeypox vaccine.

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