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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health says two more cases of monkeypox have been identified in the state.
Officials say two adult men who had close contact with one another tested positive for the virus late on Saturday, and a confirmation test will be conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MassDPH said they cannot directly link the cases with the first one confirmed in the state and the country back in May.
Both patients are being isolated to prevent a spread to others, MassDPH said.
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CDC data indicates there have been 49 cases of the monkeypox virus this year in the U.S., though there have been no deaths reported both nationally or internationally as a result of this outbreak. Officials say patients typically make a full recovery from the virus within two to four weeks.
"While the virus does not spread easily between people, people can spread the infection once they develop symptoms," MassDPH said.
Transmission of monkeypox happens through direct contact with body fluids and sores, by touching fluid-contaminated items, or less commonly by prolonged face-to-face contact and through respiratory droplets.
WBZ's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.
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