Cases are isolating, and contact tracing is ongoing

BOSTON (June 15, 2022) - The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced two additional cases of monkeypox in adult males, bringing the total number of monkeypox cases in the Commonwealth to six since May.

Initial testing was completed late Tuesday at the State Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain; confirmatory testing will be done at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). DPH is working with local health officials, the patient, and the healthcare providers to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patients while they were infectious. The individuals are currently isolating to prevent spread to others; there is no known connection between these two new cases. 

Current data from CDC indicates that there have been 72 cases of monkeypox virus this year in US residents; this includes the first identified case in Massachusetts which was confirmed on May 18. There have been no deaths in the US or globally related to this outbreak and patients generally recover fully in 2-4 weeks.

Although many of the early cases were associated with international travel, recent cases are not. Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men make up a large proportion of the cases identified to date. However, the risk is not limited to the LGBT community, and anyone who has been in close