Maine reports second case of monkeypox: Here's what health officials want you to know

Staff report
·3 min read
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The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a second case of monkeypox in the state.

Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah announced via Twitter Monday a man from Penobscot County tested positive.

The announcement comes one week after the CDC identified its first case in a male resident of York County.

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Transmission requires close interaction with a symptomatic person, such as physical, skin-to-skin contact, including during sexual contact. Symptoms include a rash or sores (pox) and is sometimes preceded by a flu-like illness.

"Additional cases are probable, based on the trajectories seen in other parts of the world," Shah stated.

To date, there is over 5,800 confirmed cases of monkeypox nationwide and more than 16,500 worldwide.
To date, there is over 5,800 confirmed cases of monkeypox nationwide and more than 16,500 worldwide.

Previous story: Maine's first case of monkeypox identified in York County

The first U.S. case of the monkeypox virus in the current outbreak was confirmed May 18. The first case in New Hampshire was reported in June and since then, according to the CDC Map & Case Count, there have been 12 cases. Massachusetts, according to the same map, has seen 134 cases.

To date, there are more than 5,800 confirmed cases nationwide and more than 16,500 worldwide.

The World Health Organization declared monkeypox to be a global health emergency last week.

Shah said Maine has received 300 doses of a monkeypox vaccine called Jynneos from the federal government. More doses, he said, are on the way nationwide.

'Bursts of sharp jabbing pain': What it's like to have monkeypox – and the fight against stigma

He said Maine is using their limited allocation to vaccinate individuals after exposure to someone with the disease as well as those at risk of transmitting monkeypox or becoming severely ill.

A recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 528 infections diagnosed between April 27 and June 24 in 16 countries.

Overall, 98% of people with the infection are gay or bisexual men and transmission was suspected to have occurred through sexual activity in 95% of the cases.

Health officials said the risk of getting monkeypox isn’t limited to gay and bisexual men, it's just the community where the virus has been currently spreading.

"We're working with a network of STI/HIV clinics across the state, as well as Maine Public Health's own public health nurses to make the vaccine available to those who would benefit the most: individuals at the highest risk of transmission or serious illness," Shah stated.

Shah tweeted Maine is prioritizing the vaccine for gay and bisexual men with multiple recent partners "because they are, right now, at a higher *relative* risk."

"The notion that 'everyone is at risk' could become a self-fulfilling prophecy if we don't focus on who, right now, has the highest relative risk," he stated.

Those who believe they may have been exposed or who have a new or unexplained rash or lesions should contact a health care provider to be evaluated, tested, and potentially referred to Maine CDC public health nursing for vaccination, according to health officials.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Monkeypox: Maine reports 2nd case — what you should know