Six more cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Massachusetts, nearly doubling the previous tally of seven.
In total, 13 people have been diagnosed with the illness in the state since last month, the Department of Public Health said Thursday, adding that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had identified 156 cases in the U.S.
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Globally, no deaths have been reported during the current outbreak, the DPH said.
No details were released about the new group of Massachusetts patients. The DPH said last week that it would provide updates on monkeypox every Thursday.
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State health officials said they are working with local health officials, the patient and health care providers to identify anyone who might have come into contact with him while he was infectious.
Monkeypox typically spreads by skin-to-skin contact, or contact with contaminated clothing or bedding. It's rarely fatal. Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that begins as flat lesions and becomes raised, then fill with fluid and develop into pustules. The number of lesions and where they appear varies person to person.
Early cases identified in the U.S. this year were associated with international travel, the Department of Public Health said, but many of the recent cases aren't.
A probable case of monkeypox in Rhode Island was believed to be related to travel to Massachusetts, Rhode Island health officials said earlier this month.
