Over this past weekend, the California Department of Public Health reported the first identified case of the Clade I strain of mpox in the U.S. This announcement was made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unlike the Clade II strain of the infection, which has been found within the United States’ borders since 2022, Clade I is markedly more severe.
The person infected with this virulent strain has been advised to and is currently isolating at home. Both the California Department of Public Health and the CDC stress that, despite this development, the risk to the public remains at a low level. The patient recently returned from Eastern Africa. This is a location where there has been a high prevalence of Clade I.
The World Health Organization had previously flagged this very issue, declaring a global health emergency on August 14th due to an outbreak of Clade I in the eastern and central parts of Africa. Though the spread of this severe strain within the U.S. is unprecedented, risk management protocols remain in place to maintain control and limit the spread. This is a clear reminder to healthcare professionals, especially infection prevention experts, of the importance of continual surveillance and readiness to swiftly adapt strategies as pathogens evolve.
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