In August, the Biden administration declared monkeypox – a rare virus once almost exclusively confined to central and west Africa – a public health emergency as it spread in the U.S.
Since then, every state and Washington, D.C. has recorded cases of the virus with the first U.S. death from monkeypox confirmed in Texas on Aug. 30.
The primary hallmark of the virus is a rash, or “pox,” that develops in infected patients. Other symptoms include fever, chills, exhaustion, muscle aches, headaches, respiratory symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes that lasts between two-four weeks.
Monkeypox spreads through close skin-to-skin contact with infected individuals or by coming in contact with infected body fluids. The virus can also live on surfaces for as long as 15 days.
There is a vaccine available, and the Centers for Disease Control recommends getting one when you are eligible. You can go here to see who should get vaccinated against monkeypox.
You can go here to see where vaccines are available.
Stacker has collected data from the CDC to examine monkeypox trends in Alabama.
Alabama monkeypox weekly update
Alabama statistics
Cumulative cases since July 2022: 171
Cumulative cases per million people: 33.9
New cases during the last 7 days: 1
New cases per million people: 0.2
Nationwide statistics
Cumulative cases since July 2022: 28,995
Cumulative cases per million people: 86.5
New cases during the last 7 days: 120
New cases per million people: 0.4
States with the most cumulative cases per million since July 2022
1. Washington, D.C.: 522 cases (779.0 cases per million people)
2. New York: 4,144 cases (208.9 cases per million people)
3. Georgia: 1,942 cases (179.8 cases per million people)
4. California: 5,547 cases (141.4 cases per million people)
5. Florida: 2,784 cases (127.8 cases per million people)
States with the fewest cumulative cases per million since July 2022
1. South Dakota: 3 cases (3.4 cases per million people)
2. Vermont: 3 cases (4.6 cases per million people)
3. Montana: 7 cases (6.3 cases per million people)
4. West Virginia: 12 cases (6.7 cases per million people)
5. Alaska: 5 cases (6.8 cases per million people)
