Many of the U.S. cases were caused by the same strain as recent cases in Europe, but a few samples show a different strain, federal health officials said.
Massachusetts reported a case of monkeypox in a man who recently traveled to Canada on May 18, 2022. FOX Medical Team correspondent Dr. Mike Cirigliano discusses the rare virus.Genetic analysis of recent monkeypox cases suggests there are two distinct strains in the U.S., health officials said Friday, raising the possibility that the virus has been circulating undetected for some time.in Europe, but a few samples show a different strain, federal health officials said.
"I think it's certainly possible that there could have been monkeypox cases in the United States that went under the radar previously, but not to any great degree," she told reporters Friday. However, she added, "there could be community level transmission that is happening" in parts of U.S. where the virus has not yet been identified.
The CDC said it is trying to increase its work on finding infections, and it's likely more cases will be reported.