Monkeypox patient shares diagnosis in effort to combat stigma, raise awareness

As federal officials move to address growing concerns over an outbreak of monkeypox in the U.S., an increasing number of positive cases are emerging across the country.

Last week, Brian Thomas, 32, of Baltimore became the latest American to test positive for monkeypox -- a diagnosis he has been sharing openly on social media, in the hope of curbing the spread by raising awareness about the disease.

"I probably first started hearing about monkeypox a month or two ago and I really kind of wrote it off," Thomas told ABC News. "You're always watching it happen to other people and you're like, 'oh, but probably not going to happen to me, probably not going to happen a lot in the States.'"