05 Dec Mpox Clade 1 Case in the United States
Mpox Clade 1 Case in the United States
Through laboratory testing, the California Department of Public Health confirmed the first known case of clade I mpox in the United States. The case is linked to travel to the region currently experiencing an mpox clade 1 outbreak.
Clade I has shown transmission in households and refugee camps from infected adults to children. The risk of clade I mpox to the American public remains low, but cases of clade II mpox continue to emerge in high risk populations in the United States.
The Philadelphia Department of Health does provide mpox vaccine (JYNNEOS) to uninsured and underinsured patients 18 years of age and younger (includes Medicaid-eligible or enrolled) through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. JYNNEOS is indicated for prevention of mpox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for mpox infection. However, the FDA has authorized emergency use of the JYNNEOS vaccine to prevent mpox in individuals less than 18 years of age under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
Mpox Vaccine Eligibility
The CDC has updated vaccine eligibility for travelers to countries where clade I mpox is circulating. Travelers to DRC or other countries where there is sustained transmission of clade I mpox should be vaccinated with two doses of JYNNEOS if they anticipate sex with a new partner while on their trip, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.
Full travel-related vaccine eligibility criteria are outlined in the CDC Health Advisory released on September 23, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria
- You are traveling to a country where clade 1 mpox is circulating and anticipate having sex with a new partner while on your trip, regardless of sexual orientation or gender
- You had known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox
- You had a sex partner in the past 2 weeks who was diagnosed with mpox
- You are a gay, bisexual, or other man who has sex with men or a transgender, nonbinary, or gender-diverse person who in the past 6 months has had any of the following:
- A new diagnosis of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis)
- More than one sex partner
- You have had any of the following in the past 6 months:
- Sex at a commercial sex venue (like a sex club or bathhouse)
- Sex related to a large commercial event or in a geographic area (city or county for example) where mpox virus transmission is occurring
- You have a sex partner with any of the above risks
- You anticipate experiencing any of the above scenarios
- You are at risk for occupational exposure to orthopoxviruses (e.g., certain people who work in a laboratory or a healthcare facility)
Mpox Symptoms
Mpox symptoms can include:
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Intense headache
- Muscle aches
- Rash
- Rashes can develop on your face, hands, feet, genitals, or elsewhere on your body.
- Lesions
Read more about the clinical features of mpox.