First known US case of person infected with new mpox strain reported | Mpox

On By Littum

US health officials on Saturday reported the first known case of a person infected with the new mpox strain in the country.

The person contracted mpox while traveling to East Africa and was treated for a mild illness in San Mateo, California, according to health officials. The person is isolating at home and recovering, and there is no evidence that mpox is spreading in the United States.

The risk to the public remains low. Mpox is transmitted through close contact, including sexual contact, kissing, hugging or other skin-to-skin contact. Symptoms include skin rashes with blisters, sores on the body and flu-like symptoms such as headaches, backaches and muscle aches.

Mpox has been spreading in the United States since 2022, when the World Health Organization (Who) declared a global health emergency for the spread of the disease, which is endemic in central and western Africa.

In August, WHO declared another global health emergency over a new strain of mpox, known as clade Ib, that has spread primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and Burundi. Since the end of September is more than 3,100 cases of mpox clade Ib has been reported globally.

Symptoms of the new strain appear to be more severe and are more likely to lead to death. Mpox is still spreading at low levels in the United States.

“Given the very low risk to the public of exposure to (the new mpox strain), the standing guidance for mpox prevention has not changed,” said Dr. Kismet Baldwin-Santana, San Mateo County health officer, in a declaration.

Cases of travelers with the new variant have been reported in Thailand, Germany, India, Sweden and the UK. In Great Britain, four people in the same household have been confirmed to have the new strain – the only four known cases in the country.

There is a two-part vaccination to prevent mpox. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called for 10 million doses of the vaccine by 2025 to respond to the epidemic, especially in the DRC. DRC had about 30,000 suspected mpox cases and 859 deaths as of early October, accounting for 80% of all cases and 99% of all deaths in Africa this year.