PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Reported cases of monkeypox in Florida and the Tampa Bay area continue to rise, according to the Florida Department of Health.
As of Aug. 1, there have been 480 reported cases of monkeypox across the Sunshine State. In the Tampa Bay area, 41 monkeypox cases have been reported.
That number now includes Pasco County, where health officials said the county's first case of monkeypox was reported. Health officials with DOH-Pasco said the case was identified on July 29. The person who tested positive is isolated. And, health officials said they are working on notifying anyone who may have been exposed in order to offer possible treatment.
"DOH-Pasco is working closely with our local hospitals, physicians, and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify any possible cases of monkeypox," DOH-Pasco said Tuesday in a statement.
Here's how many monkeypox cases have been reported in each Tampa Bay area county:
Hillsborough County: 16
Pasco County: 1
Pinellas County: 20
Polk County: 3
Sarasota: 1
You can always get the latest up-to-date case numbers reported by the Florida health department by clicking here.
The ongoing monkeypox outbreak, one that since has been declared a global emergency, can be stopped with testing and vaccinations, U.S. health officials said last week.
But health departments in several major U.S. cities say they don't have enough shots to meet demand, The Associated Press reports. In the Tampa Bay area, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County said the agency understands that it's "frustrating" that not enough vaccines are available to anyone who wants one.
"Doses are allocated by the federal government, and they are distributed on the federal government’s timeline. DOH requests every dose we are allocated," said spokesperson Christina Louv, in part.
To date, data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows Florida has been allotted 109,283 doses of Bavarian Nordic's JYNNEOS vaccine. About 36,800 doses have been shipped to the state.