Key Takeaways:
– San Mateo County in the U.S. reports the first case of a severe form of mpox, known as clade I mpox.
– The affected individual contracted the virus during a trip to Africa and is currently isolating at home.
– The newer strain of the virus is more severe and has a higher mortality rate.
– Despite this, the risk to the public is currently considered very low.
First U.S. Case of Severe Mpox Strain
San Mateo County in the U.S. has reported its first case of a severe version of mpox, locally known as clade I mpox. The county health department said on Saturday that the patient in question contracted the virus while traveling to Africa and is currently recuperating at home with mild symptoms.
The Unique Mpox Variant
Clade I mpox is a particularly severe form of the virus, also dubbed the “African variant.” It marks the first incidence of the strain making an appearance in the United States, extending its reach to a gradually increasing number of countries across the globe. Previously, a less harmful version, clade II mpox, was circulating in the U.S from 2022 onwards, with 108 reported cases in the county alone and over 100,000 cases worldwide.
The Severity of the New Case
The recently detected mpox variant is known to cause more severe illness than its predecessor, featuring symptoms like a painful rash, fever, chills, and muscle aches, and a higher mortality rate. However, local health officials assert that the public risk posed by the new variant is very low.
Contact Tracing Measures
Health officials are currently blazing the trail to identify and contact every individual that may have interacted with the infected person. Preston Merchant, spokesperson for the San Mateo County health department, assures that this measure will be thoroughly implemented.
Current U.S. Spread Assessment
Despite the newly reported case, there is no tangible evidence indicating that the clade I mpox strain is spreading among individuals in San Mateo County or anywhere else in the United States, according to a news release by the health agency on Saturday.
Global Impact and Response
This severe variant of mpox sits at the epicenter of an outbreak that has already claimed over 1000 lives this year in Central and Eastern Africa, primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This alarming increase in cases prompted the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern back in August.
International Travelers and Disease Spread
Several international travelers have tested positive for this strain after returning from Africa, in countries including Germany, India, Kenya, Sweden, Thailand, the UK, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Transmission of the Mpox Virus
The mpox virus spreads primarily through skin-to-skin, intimate, and sexual contact. People can also contract the disease by touching objects or surfaces contaminated by an infected individual.
As it stands, the present narrative underlines the crucial need for stringent public health measures to prevent the potential spread of this new mpox variant within the U.S. Although the public risk is low at the moment, vigilance is the apt response to keep the situation under control. The world will be closely monitoring the rebirth and growth of mpox in the U.S., hoping that local and federal health officials can manage the situation efficiently and effectively.
The unfolding events surrounding this new development in the realm of health safety and disease spread necessitates constant updates. Stay tuned for the latest information on this situation.
Please remember to subscribe to Google News for more health updates. For the content owners, if you don’t wish for your materials on our website, please contact us through an email at [email protected]. We assure you that the content will be removed within 24 hours of the notice. The news first appeared on Neefina – Breaking News Today | Latest News US.