The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Friday confirmed another case of a more severe strain of mpox in a local patient with no known history of travel to areas where the virus is usually found -- the third such case in the county and the only known non-travel infections in the United States.
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The latest patient with clade I mpox was described only as an adult who was hospitalized but is no recovering at home. County health officials on Thursday verified the agency's first case of clade I mpox. Long Beach, which has its own health department separate from the county, announced that city's first case on Tuesday. Thus far, no link has been found between any of the patients.
"The confirmation of a third case with no travel history raises concerns about possible local spread in Los Angeles County," Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer, said in a statement. "We're working closely with our partners to identify potential sources and understand how this potentially more serious type of the mpox virus may be spreading."
None of the three local patients had any history of travel to account for the infection, health officials said. Long Beach officials said earlier this week that had only been about eight known cases nationally of clade I mpox.
Clade I mpox is considered a more severe strain of the virus than clade II mpox, which led to a U.S. outbreak in 2022-23. Los Angeles County health officials said they have confirmed 118 cases of clade II mpos this year.
Clade I generally causes more severe illness. Symptoms can include rash or lesions, fever, chills, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and body aches.
With three local cases now confirmed, county public health officials said they were working with state and federal agencies to track the path of the infections.
"Enhanced surveillance and contact tracing are underway to identify any additional cases and potential sources of the infection and to prevent further transmission," according to the county Department of Public Health. "The (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is conducting additional testing to identify the virus's genes (genomic sequencing) in each case."
Clade I mpox has been primarily found in Central and Eastern Africa.
Mpox can spread through direct contact with infectious sores or body fluids, sexual or intimate contact, and touching contaminated items such as bedding or clothes. Most people recover within 2-4 weeks, but antiviral treatments may be considered for individuals with or at risk of developing severe illness, health officials said.
Despite the low risk of infection, health officials recommended vaccines for people who may be at increased risk, such as people who are gay or bisexual, men who have sex with men, transgender and non-binary people, people who are immunocompromised, someone who was exposed to a person with mpox, those with occupational exposure, and people planning to travel to areas with ongoing mpox outbreaks.
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