Enlarge image
A man receives a vaccine against monkeypox in New York
Photo:
EDUARDO MUNOZ / REUTERS
In response to the spread of monkeypox, the governor of the state of New York has declared a state of emergency.
"This action allows us to respond more quickly to the outbreak and take additional steps to vaccinate more New Yorkers," Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
To contain the virus, you have to “use every tool” and protect risk groups in particular as well as possible.
Among other things, contact tracing will be intensified and more health workers mobilized to administer vaccinations.
In addition, the test capacities would be expanded.
The state of emergency is valid until August 28th.
On Friday, the state Department of Health reported 1,383 confirmed cases of the monkeypox virus, most of which are concentrated in the metropolis of New York - about a quarter of all cases registered in the United States to date.
Another dead in Spain
The World Health Organization (WHO) had already declared the highest alert level last weekend.
As of the most recent count, there have been nearly 23,000 cases of monkeypox worldwide.
Europe is particularly affected with more than 14,000 cases, around 2,600 of which are in Germany.
Currently, the outbreak is largely focused on men who have sex with men.
However, according to the health authority CDC, cases in children have already been confirmed in the USA.
Monkeypox infection can cause a rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, and muscle pain.
As a rule, the disease is not fatal, but the first two European deaths in Spain became known on Friday and Saturday.
The two men died in hospitals in the Valencia region and in Cordoba, according to Spanish health authorities.
Another possible death became known from Brazil.
atb/dpa
