Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Monkeypox DNA Found In Patients' Saliva, Sexual Fluids, Waste
A study published today in Eurosurveillance used 140 samples taken from 12 infected monkeypox patients in Barcelona, Spain, and found DNA of the poxvirus in semen, saliva, urine, and feces. Though the primary mode of transmission for the smallpox-related virus is through skin-to-skin contact with infected lesions, this study suggests a possibility of transmission through sexual fluids or saliva. The authors emphasize, however, that viral DNAÂ does not necessarily mean infectious virus. (Soucheray, 7/14)
More on the spread of monkeypox —
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are now 1,053 cases in 41 states and Puerto Rico. Three states have more than 150 confirmed monkeypox cases including California, New York and Illinois. (Musto, 7/14)
The South Dakota Department of Health reported the first case of monkeypox has been identified in the state. The male in his 30s from eastern South Dakota tested positive for orthopoxvirus which was confirmed by state officials at the State Public Health Laboratory. Confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pending. (Cameron, 7/14)
This weekend, New York City is hoping to turn a new leaf in its fight against monkeypox by offering vaccination in all five boroughs. Three mass vaccination sites will open on Sunday at Aviation High School in Queens, the Bushwick Education campus in North Brooklyn and the Bronx High School of Science, the city health department said. (Gonella, 7/14)
Health experts criticize slow response to monkeypox —
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified more than 1,000 cases of monkeypox in the United States, but even though the federal government has ample treatments and vaccinations on hand, physicians say bureaucratic red tape is hindering their ability to respond to and contain the outbreak. (Cohen, 7/14)
Tyler Bowman opened his phone on Monday and called San Francisco’s public health department over and over — five times in all — while desperate for a vaccine that could help him avoid becoming the latest patient in a burgeoning monkeypox outbreak. And for days, he confronted a widespread problem: There just weren’t enough shots to go around. (Rodgers and Greschler, 7/14)
The federal and state response to the escalating monkeypox outbreak is lacking access to enough vaccines, testing and treatments to keep up with the virus' spread, infectious disease experts are warning. (O'Reilly and Davis, 7/14)
And monkeypox has spread to the world's second-most-populous nation —
India confirmed Thursday that a case of Monkeypox has been found in the country. A high-level, multi-disciplinary team has been rushed to Kerala to work with state health authorities to institute public health measures after the case was found in Kollam district, India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a statement. (Sanjai, 7/14)
