Mpox cases on the rise in New York

Cases of Mpox first started popping up in the United States in May 2022. Since then, more than 32,000 cases have been reported, including 58 deaths in the United States, according to CDC.

According to the city's health advisory, mpox case numbers in New York City "were relatively low for most of 2023, ranging from two to 20 cases per month between January and September."

However, since October 2023, the city has seen an average of 36 cases per month, peaking at 51 confirmed cases in January. Since Jan. 1 of this year, 149 people in the city have tested positive for mpox, and 47 confirmed cases occurred between March 10 and April 6. Nationwide, there have been an estimated 511 mpox cases as of mid-March, compared to 287 cases during the same time last year.

Of the 256 cases that have been confirmed between October 2023 and April 15 in New York City:

• 73% were among people who were not vaccinated against the disease or had only received one dose of a vaccination
• 94% were among men who have sex with men
• The majority were among Black or Hispanic men between the ages of 25 and 44
• The majority were mild, and just 10 resulted in hospitalization

Officials say symptoms of mpox typically occur within three to 17 days after exposure, and most commonly come in the form of a rash or sores that look like blisters or pimples. Flu symptoms can also be a sign of mpox.

Protecting against mpox

While cases "have mainly spread through sex and other intimate contact among social networks of gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender people," the health department noted, "anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has mpox is at risk for infection."

The Jynneos vaccine is recommended for anyone at high risk of mpox infection, including those who have been exposed to someone with the disease, according to CDC.

People who identify as gay, bisexual, or a man who has sex with other men who have had more than one sexual partner or been diagnosed with more than one sexually transmitted disease in the past six months are also eligible for vaccination. In addition, people with HIV or other immune-compromising conditions are eligible for the vaccine. The vaccine consists of two doses and can be given intradermally.

"This has the potential to become a fairly prevalent infectious disease, but the advantage with mpox is, we have a vaccine that's effective. We don't have that for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia or HIV," said Marcus Plescia, CMO for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. "We've had fairly good participation in the vaccination push, but we're not anywhere close to getting most of the at-risk population vaccinated. Until that happens, we're going to see outbreaks and upticks in cases in various places."

"Our fight against mpox relies heavily on our collective action to get vaccinated, especially in high-risk scenarios," said John Brownstein, CIO at Boston Children's Hospital. "The increase in cases is a stark reminder of the virus's presence and the ongoing need for vigilance and preventive measures." (Lazar, Spectrum News, 5/4; Benadjaoud, ABC News, 3/28; McPhillips, CNN, 3/28)

Writing for the Harvard Business Review, Jeff Levin-Scherz, Patricia Toro, Siupo Becker, and Meg Alexander of  WTW detail six considerations for employers to create effective policies that help protect workers from monkeypox.