Monkeypox cases tripled since beginning of August in Florida

Monkeypox cases in Florida have more than tripled since the beginning of August, as an upward trend in infections continues.

Data from the Florida Department of Health showed that the state recorded 1,913 monkeypox cases as of Monday, up from 525 cases reported through Aug. 2. Miami-Dade and Broward counties continue to report the vast majority of monkeypox cases, with 704 in Miami-Dade and 578 in Broward.

Orange and Hillsborough counties have the next-highest number of cases, with 150 and 124 cases.

State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Aug. 3 told reporters that the state had received 24,000 doses of vaccines for monkeypox and distributed roughly 8,500 of those doses.

The state health department did not respond to a request by The News Service of Florida Tuesday for updated numbers of vaccines received and distributed.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 18,101 monkeypox cases throughout the country as of Monday.

Florida has the third-highest number of recorded monkeypox infections in the nation, trailing California and New York.

The rarely fatal virus can cause flu-like symptoms and progress to a rash on the face and body.

The virus is "sexually transmissible" and most commonly spread by intimate contact, according to the CDC. "

At this time, data suggest that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men make up the majority of cases in the current monkeypox outbreak," an advisory on the CDC’s website said.

The White House declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency on Aug. 4.