USA Declares Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency

A week after the World Health Organization deemed monkeypox to be a global health emergency, the U.S.

With the United States now having by far the most cases of monkeypox worldwide, the Biden administration on Thursday declared the virus to be a public health emergency.

“We’re prepared to take our response to the next level in addressing this virus, and we urge every American to take monkeypox seriously and to take responsibility to help us tackle this virus,” said U.S.

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As of August 4, the United States leads the world in monkeypox infections, with at least 6,616 cases in 48 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

With the outbreak spreading around the world rapidly, the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 23 declared monkeypox “a public health emergency of international concern.” The disease has the potential to cause serious illness, and five deaths have been recorded

“WHO’s assessment is that the risk of monkeypox is moderate globally and in all regions, except in the European region where we assess the risk as high,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, the director general of the WHO, adding that the risk of the virus disrupting international trade or travel for now is low.