The CDC’s been trying to warn men in Florida or traveling to Florida, particularly those who identify as gay, bisexual, queer or trans, that they need to get a vaccine that can prevent them from getting meningococcal disease. Meningococcal disease, including meningitis, is a bacterial infection in the lining of the brain and spinal cord.
As of Friday, there have been 26 cases and seven deaths with 24 of these cases among men who have sex with men. Six of the deaths were also a part of the LGBTQ community. Half of the cases have been in men who identify as Hispanic.
The disease doesn’t only impact people who identify as LGBT or Q and the illness does not seem to be connected to one particular event. The CDC is still investigating, but the outbreak is ongoing.
The threat to the general US population is low, the CDC says, but there are notably high numbers of monkeypox cases among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. “However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk,” the CDC notes.
Associate Director for Prevention, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases at the CDC, Sam Crowe, told CNN Friday that many of the meningococcal cases had been concentrated in Central Florida, but there are cases now throughout the state.
The CDC plans to continue doing a big publicity and education push in both English and Spanish in local newspapers, through gay media, and on social apps throughout the summer. The agency says its presence at pride events will also continue throughout the summer.
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