“We stand ready to take our response to the next level in tackling this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and take responsibility for helping us fight this virus,” Health and Human Services Secretary Javier Becerra said by phone.
The minister added that the United States has so far detected 6.6 thousand cases of the virus.
The Washington Post, citing US officials, reported that the administration of President Joe Biden was planning to declare the monkeypox outbreak a health emergency.
And the authorities of the states of New York, California and Illinois have previously declared monkeypox a health emergency. A similar declaration was also issued by the World Health Organization on July 23.
It is noteworthy that the first cases of monkeypox in humans were discovered in the year 1970, and it is less dangerous and contagious than the human smallpox that was eradicated in 1980.
The disease is transmitted through close contact, and the patient usually recovers without intervention after 2 or 3 weeks.
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