2 Raves in Europe May Have Spread Monkeypox

It's a not-so-surprising update on this year's monkeypox outbreak: Another state—Florida—has a suspected case, likely making it the third state to see the virus. Health officials say the case in Broward County (home of Fort Lauderdale) is related to international travel, but they aren't providing details beyond that, reports the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Massachusetts previously confirmed a case, and another in New York is awaiting CDC confirmation. Monkeypox is typically confined to Africa, but this year has seen a spike in nations where the disease is not usually found, including Britain, Spain, Israel, France, Switzerland, and Australia, in addition to the US. All told, about 190 confirmed and suspected cases have been reported in 16 nations, per ABC News.

• Biden: On Sunday, President Biden said "everybody should be concerned" about the outbreak, though his comments on Monday were more measured. "I just don't think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with COVID-19," Biden said on his Asian trip, per CNN. He noted that vaccines already exist to keep the virus in check—smallpox vaccines are known to work against monkeypox.
• Two raves: A World Health Organization adviser tells the AP that raves in Belgium and Spain attended by a large number of gay or bisexual men might play a big role in this year's spike outside Africa. “We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission," says Dr. David Heymann. Most patients recover after a few weeks, though about 10% of cases can be deadly. No deaths have been reported this year.

(More monkeypox stories.)