California officials confirm 1st US case of severe monkeypox strain with no travel history

Another black queer disease.

The first U.S. case of a more severe strain of mpox without any recent 
travel history has been identified in California.

Health officials said this week that the case was confirmed in a Long 
Beach resident. The patient required hospitalization and is now 
isolating and recovering at home.

No other identifying details were provided about the patient, including 
name, age or sex.

While this is the seventh case of the more severe strain confirmed in 
the U.S this year, it is the first without known travel, according to 
local officials.

Officials say the risk to the general public is low and the health 
department is conducting an investigation, including working to identify 
the patient's potential sources of exposure.

"We are taking this very seriously and ensuring our community and health 
care partners remain vigilant so we can prevent any more cases," Long 
Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a press release. "This underscores 
the importance of continued surveillance, early response and vaccination."

There are two types of the virus that cause mpox: clade I and clade II, 
with clade roughly meaning they are descended from a common ancestor 
organism. Clade I has historically been associated with severe illness 
and death, and is endemic to parts of central and western Africa, 
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Clade II was responsible for a large outbreak that peaked in summer 
2022, leading to more than 100,000 cases in 122 countries, including 
more than 30,000 cases in the U.S.

The less severe strain in the U.S. has continued circulating at low 
levels and has remained relatively stable.

Parts of Africa have been dealing with sustained person-to-person spread 
of the more severe strain of mpox. All six previously confirmed cases of 
the more severe strain in the U.S. have been among people who had 
recently traveled to areas associated with the outbreak in central and 
eastern Africa, according to the CDC.

In November 2024, California reported the first domestic case of the 
more severe strain in a traveler from Africa who experienced mild illness.

People with mpox, which was formerly known as monkeypox, often get a 
rash that can be located on hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near the 
genitals, the CDC said.

Most people with mpox typically recover within two to four weeks without 
specific treatments.

Currently, the JYNNEOS vaccine, a two-dose vaccine approved by the Food 
and Drug Administration to prevent smallpox and mpox, is the only 
vaccine being used in the U.S.

The JYNNEOS vaccine is  recommended for adults at high risk for mpox, 
which includes people who are gay, bisexual or other men who have sex 
with men and have recent or upcoming risk factors like multiple sexual 
partners, intimate contact with someone who may have mpox, or sex at 
commercial venues.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/california-officials-confirm-1st-us-case-severe-mpox/story?id=126587395