First Case of Clade I Mpox Diagnosed in the United States
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Cross-posted from CDC Health Alert Network
Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network
November 18, 2024, 5:30 PM ET
CDCHAN-00519
Summary
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to provide information about the first case of clade I mpox diagnosed in the United States and recommendations to clinicians about preventing, diagnosing, treating, and reporting mpox cases. On November 15, 2024, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed the first reported case of clade I mpox in the United States. This individual had recently traveled to areas experiencing clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV) transmission and sought medical care for mpox symptoms in the United States. Consistent with other recent clade I mpox cases, the patient has relatively mild illness and is recovering. CDC and the local and state health departments are investigating potential contacts; no additional cases in the United States have been detected as of November 18, 2024. The risk of clade I mpox to the public in the United States remains low.
Since March 2024, CDC has been working with local, tribal, state, and territorial public health authorities to prepare for potential cases of clade I mpox in the United States by enhancing surveillance, detection, and reporting capacities of existing domestic public health systems and structures. This reported case demonstrates that these systems are working as intended. There is no change to CDC clinical or travel guidance on clade I mpox since HAN Health Update 516. Clinicians should be aware of mpox symptoms, ask patients with comparable signs and symptoms about recent travel history and other risk factors for mpox, and consider MPXV testing. Given the widespread outbreaks in Central and Eastern Africa, additional travel-associated cases may be reported in the future in the United States. Suspected and confirmed cases of clade I mpox should be reported to local, territorial, and state public health authorities as soon as possible. State, local, and territorial public health authorities should report cases to CDC promptly. This includes orthopoxvirus generic (i.e., non-variola orthopoxvirus) positive and clade II negative test results from a patient with travel history to a country affected by clade I mpox. CDC recommends vaccination to people who are eligible for mpox vaccine, including those who may have a recent MPXV exposure.
Read the full Health Advisory here.