NYC Monkeypox Update: 2 More Presumed Cases Identified

NEW YORK CITY — Two more people in New York City have been diagnosed with presumed monkeypox, health officials said.

The pair tested positive for orthopoxvirus last week — the type of virus that causes monkeypox — as city officials grapple with a small outbreak of the rare disease.

"To date, seven cases have been identified," the city's health department tweeted.

The recent wave of monkeypox infections in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Australia and Israel marks the first time the disease has been known to spread among people who have no previous travel links to Africa, where it has mostly affected people in rural areas who come into close contact with infected wild animals, the Associated Press reported.

This wave appears to have a link with sexual activity, with many to most infections being found in gay and bisexual men so far, health officials have said. But they also noted that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is potentially at risk of catching monkeypox.

City health officials issued updated advice on who is more likely to have been exposed to monkeypox. Those are:

• People who recently traveled to Portugal, Spain, the UK, Canada or Central or Western African countries.
• Men who have sex with men, or anyone with close social or physical contact with others.

Transmission can happen during close contact with infected people or materials used by an infected person, health officials warned. Those are:

• Hugging, kissing and talking closely.
• Oral, anal and vaginal sex or mutual masturbation.
• Touching fabrics and objects, such as clothing, bedding, towels or sex toys.

More information about monkeypox can be found here.