A monkeypox case reported in the San Francisco Bay Area adds to the growing evidence that people can contract the virus in multiple ways — and raises questions about just how easy it is to get infected during casual encounters with others.
A case investigation released this week by the Centers for Disease Control reveals that a man in his 20s who sought care at Stanford Hospital tested positive for monkeypox even though he hadn’t recently engaged in sexual activity. Epidemiologists have long thought the virus was primarily being transmitted through close skin-to-skin contact.
The case also highlights the trajectory of the virus and whether it could make a jump from the LGBTQ community — which has been disproportionately affected by the virus — to the broader population via public spaces. Though it is not the first time a case has been reported that didn’t involve sexual contact — two toddlers in the state have tested positive — the CDC report offers an in-depth look into what sort of activities the Stanford man was doing before he contracted monkeypox.
