Central Florida counties documented over 200 new cases of monkeypox during the month of August, an increase of over 15 times the number of cases reported through the previous month.
According to the latest data available through the Florida Department of Health Reportable Diseases Frequency Report, the nine counties that comprise Central Florida reported 216 cases of monkeypox through Tuesday, August 30.
The highest number of cases, 151, was reported in Orange County, while Seminole reported 21 and Osceola reported 19 cases.
As of July 19, only 13 cases had been reported in Central Florida, and 180 cases had been reported throughout the entire Sunshine State. The nation reported 2,108 cases at the time.
As of Tuesday, those numbers have skyrocketed. The state of Florida is now reporting 1,870 cases of the virus, while the United States has reported 18,417 cases.
In comparison, in June, around 200 cases were reported across the country.
Now, there were more than 200 cases reported this past month across the region.
Florida currently has the third highest total of cases reported in the nation, trailing only California and New York.
The monkeypox virus produces similar symptoms to small pox, including fever, headache, muscle pain, chills and fatigue.
According to the CDC, symptoms of the monkeypox virus are generally more mild than in small pox cases. For more information on the monkeypox disease, visit the CDC monkeypox website.