Mpox is no longer a global health emergency. How many cases have there been in Charlotte?
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On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak is no longer a global health emergency.
The disease, formerly known as monkeypox, was declared a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022 after it spread to more than 70 countries, CNN reported.
However, there has been a decline in the number of mpox cases over the past three months, with countries reporting 90% fewer cases than they had in the previous three-month period, Axios reported.
“Yesterday, the emergency committee for mpox met and recommended to me that the multi-country outbreak of mpox no longer represents a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice and I’m pleased to declare that the mpox is no longer a global health emergency,” World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing Thursday. “However, as with Covid-19, that does not mean that the work is over. Mpox continues to pose significant public health challenges that need a robust, proactive and sustainable response.”
Mpox in Mecklenburg County
There have been 249 cases of mpox reported in Mecklenburg County since the outbreak began, a representative for the health department told The Charlotte Observer in an email. There has only been one case reported in the county since February.
In North Carolina, 708 cases have been reported as of April 26, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Of those cases, 96% have been reported in males, and 67% have been reported in Black people, according to NCDHHS. Nearly all mpox cases have been in men who have sex with men.
Who can get the mpox vaccine?
Eligibility for the vaccine has been expanded, but due to a limited supply, it is only being offered to individuals who are at high risk of contracting mpox, including:
People who have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with mpox
Men who have sex with men, or transgender people who are sexually active
People who have had sexual contact with gay, bisexual, transgender or men who have sex with men in the last 90 days
People living with HIV or received pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in the last 90 days
People who have had sex at a commercial sex venue or in association with a large public event
The CDC says mpox symptoms include:
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches and backache
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
Exhaustion
A rash that can look like pimple or blisters that appear on the face, inside the mouth, or on the hands, feet, chest or genitals
Individuals who are eligible can call the Mecklenburg County Health Department at 980-314-9400 to make an appointment to receive the vaccine, or join the county’s Mpox Vaccination Waitlist to receive notifications about appointment availability.
