The summer is approaching… and this infection is again on the rise among gay men
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.According to the CDC, in the US in 2022, there were 31,698 known cases of mpox and 56 deaths.
The majority of deaths occured in immunocompromised people, including those with HIV.Gay men were urged to take advantage of the mpox vaccine.
The epidemic subsided toward the end of 2022.Now, according to the CDC, there is a year-to-date estimate of 511 US cases as of mid-March.
That compares to 287 cases during the same period last year.One of the worst-hit areas, like in 2022, is New York. The state has dealt with 100 cases so far this year, compared with only 30 by mid-March 2023.California has had 64 cases this year (compared to 35 during the same period in 2023) and Florida 60 (up from 27).Last week, the Virginia Department of Health issued its own statement on an increase in cases in the state.“Since January 1, 2024, 12 mpox cases have been reported to VDH from the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Northwest health regions; of these, four patients required hospitalization, six were co-infected with HIV, and none had been previously vaccinated,” it said. “For comparison, there were 12 reported mpox cases in all of 2023.”The advice from health officials remains the same.
