On Saturday, it was confirmed that an individual who had recently traveled to Africa had contracted America’s first case of a more severe strain of mpox.
Health officials in California confirmed the case of clade I mpox through laboratory testing. According to the California Department of Public Health, the person was being treated in San Mateo County. The individual is now recovering at home.
“People who had close contact with this individual are being contacted by public health workers, but there is no concern or evidence that mpox clade I is currently spreading between individuals in California or the United States,” California’s health department said.
The outbreak of the more aggressive strain of mpox first started in Central and Eastern Africa.
“Historically, clade I has caused more severe illness than clade II, however, recent infections from clade I mpox may not be as clinically severe as in previous outbreaks, especially when cases have access to quality medical care,” CDPH wrote on Saturday.
Mpox is a disease caused by infection with a virus. People have contracted it in Africa through small animal bites, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms of mpox include body aches, chills, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, Mayo Clinic says.
On Nov. 22, the World Health Organization is expected to convene and determine whether or not the outbreak in Africa still constitutes a public health emergency that is a concern for the rest of the world.
In August, the situation in Africa was declared a global health emergency by the WHO.
The CDC reports that the US is now the sixth nation outside of Africa to confirm the Clade I strain of mpox. Other cases caught through travel were found in India, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
Despite the reports of the case being confirmed in California, the CDC still stresses that the risk to the rest of the public isn’t high.
“The risk of clade I mpox to the general public in the U.S. remains low,” CDC wrote.