Health officials in California said Saturday that the first known case of an aggressive strain of mpox, clade I, has been confirmed in the United States. The individual had recently returned to the country after traveling from Eastern Africa, where the strain is associated with a continuing outbreak.
The patient, treated in San Mateo County, is recovering at home in isolation with symptoms showing improvement, reported the CDPH and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Allowing people to be reassured, that there is only a small risk of exposure, and now there’s no sign of wide-scale transmission within the state or the country.
Mpox, formerly referred to as monkeypox, is an orthopoxvirus in the genus that includes smallpox. A milder clade II has been endemic in the US since 2022; however, historically, clade I has been associated with more virulent disease, including a higher case fatality rate. Advances in modern medical care have substantially decreased fatal outcomes of the most recent outbreaks and, obviously, of this highly developed healthcare system in the United States.
The virulent strain was first reported in Eastern Africa, while later on it has been reported and detected amongst international travelers in Germany, India, Sweden, and the UK. WHO reports that the mpox strain began spreading from this modern outbreak in Africa, especially through Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mpox is transmitted mainly through close contact, including direct touching and direct exposure to contaminated things. The symptoms begin as fever, and body aches, and become painful sores. In addition, the public is encouraged to take these preventive measures in the form of vaccination when available, as well as avoid any close contact with infected persons or items that may possibly contain mpox.
Further work on the strain is being done by the CDC to gain insight, and it remains vigilant as it monitors individuals who may potentially have been exposed to the California case. WHO is scheduled to hold a meeting on November 22 to discuss whether the now ongoing mpox outbreak still warrants classification as a public health emergency of international concern.
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