San Francisco released the first demographic information about monkeypox patients Sunday, showing the disease is largely impacting cisgender, gay men but that cases have indeed been identified outside of that group.
The SF Department of Public Health reports 97% of monkeypox cases to date have been identified in males, with 83% in gay individuals. Hispanics account for 27% of the cases, nearly double their portion of the SF population.
The profile information comes on the heels of Friday's release of patient profiles from the California Department of Public Health showing that the virus is now appearing outside the gay community. The state reported cisgender men account for 98% of monkeypox cases but that three cases have been reported in cisgender women in California.
People who have same-gender relationships make up 92% of reported California monkeypox cases. Bisexual individuals represent 6% of positive cases, while heterosexual individuals make up 2% of reported cases.
Monkeypox in SF Wastewater
San Francisco’s Southeast and Oceanside sewer sheds also now show viral levels of monkeypox in wastewater, an indicator now appearing in nearly all Bay Area wastewater. Friday's data show July levels may have peaked in mid-June.
The Latest Data on Monkeypox Infections in San Francisco
As the San Francisco Department of Public Health releases new information about the spread of monkeypox, The Standard will update this dashboard.
On Friday, July 29, the SF Department of Public Health reported 24 new cases in San Francisco, bringing the total to 305 patients with monkeypox.
Thursday, July 28: San Francisco Tied for the Highest Infection Rate in the Nation
San Francisco declared a state of emergency Thursday as monkeypox cases rise across the city as vaccine demand continues to outstrip supply.
An SF Standard analysis of the latest monkeypox case counts in major cities shows San Francisco and Washington, D.C. tied with the highest per-capita infection rates in the nation. Monkeypox is infecting SF and DC residents at a rate more than double that of Seattle, New York City, and Seattle, and 15-times that of Los Angeles County.
The charts below show a comparison of San Francisco and other California counties.