FACT CHECK: Has Monkeypox Recently “Disappeared”?
A post shared on Instagram purports monkeypox recently “disappeared” from the public.
View this post on Instagram
Verdict: False
While new monkeypox cases have decreased by 40 percent, the disease has not outright disappeared, NBC News reported.
Fact Check:
A team of British researchers studying monkeypox transmission in the U.K. said the virus can spread before symptoms appear, Reuters reported. The Department of Health and Human Services renewed a public health emergency regarding monkeypox Nov. 2 The Hill reported.
The Instagram post, liked over 100 times, purports the disease has disappeared. “So… Monkey Pox Just Disappeared,” the post reads.
The claim is false. While new monkeypox cases have decreased by 40 percent, the disease has not disappeared, NBC News reported. Factors such as receiving the monkeypox vaccine and CDC data citing a “50 percent drop in risky hookups” may be responsible for the decline in new disease cases, also according to the outlet. (RELATED: Did The WHO Recommend Halting Clothing Shipments Due To Monkeypox?)
The virus is also mutating, according to Nature. Researchers at the Minnesota Department of Health noticed changes in the virus’ genome while reviewing samples of the disease collected from an infected person, though they are not alarmed at this time, the outlet indicated.
There are no credible news reports suggesting Monkeypox has disappeared. Likewise, neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor the World Health Organization (WHO) has mentioned the claim via their verified social media accounts or respective websites. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also has not publicly addressed the purported claim.
Check Your Fact has contacted CDC, WHO, and NIH spokespersons for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
This is not the first time a false claim about monkeypox has been promoted as true online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim purporting the disease was only spreading in countries where Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has been distributed.
